Dragon Man
by Blonde Spirit
Summary: Charlie has his dragons, he has his job, he has his friends, he has his family when he bothers to come home that is he's doesn't know how he could be happier, he's about to find out, but it'll cost him dearly.
1. Chapter 1

**Dragon man**

_**Chapter 1 – Dawning**_

Charlie Weasley was sitting watching the sun rise, he loved dawn in Romania. There was something about it that reminded him why he was here, why he was doing this job. He looked down from his treetop bunkhouse, which gave him an excellent view of the dragon enclosures nearby. He yawned and scratched his chin, reflecting that he'd better shave before he went to bed this morning, he was on a 'quick return' which meant he would be back out on the reserve by 2pm. The managers of the reserve were surprisingly sharp on their keepers appearance, and Charlie had had his 'privileges' suspended or as it was generally known, 'de-priv'd' before for turning up for work sporting the tramp look. He had known some of the women on the base be 'de-priv'd' for having greasy hair and last nights make up on. On nights he was in charge, there was no senior management breathing down his neck, he and the team appreciated it a lot. They could work their seven night stint and not shower or shave if they so chose, Charlie was their boss and he didn't really care what they looked like as long as they did their jobs.

Nights were quiet times in the winter, the dragons slept for most of the time and there were few people that were stupid enough to try and breach security and break into the reserve. The reserve was under the command of the team leaders at night, with anyone above that level being safely tucked up in bed. Charlie had made team leader four years ago, and refused to apply for the more senior jobs that came up now and again. He hated paperwork, politics and offices. He loved being outside with the dragons and that's where he intended to stay. He had worked hard to put his team together and train them well, the team were solid, they worked, ate and drank together. Charlie was the only member who had a log cabin on the outskirts of the forest that made up part of the reserve, the rest of the team slept in a bunk house, although now and again the whole team crashed in Charlie's cabin after one of his 'get togethers'. Charlie Weasley's get togethers were legendary on the reserve. Everyone was invited and drink flowed freely, Charlie had only two rules, Clean up your own vomit, and that only himself and his chosen partner, should he decide he wanted one that night, were allowed in his bed. Callie, the only woman on his team had broken the latter rule once with a visiting American handler, Charlie was not pleased and Callie was banned from coming to the parties for a good six months after that. Others took heed and followed the rules. Charlie was well respected by his team considering his calm and laidback attitude, he allowed mistakes and offered guidance when they occurred. But Charlie would not tolerate laziness, sloppiness or bitching between colleagues. He dealt with these situations usually by warning once and then losing his temper. Charlie was laid back to a fault, but he got once riled, there was no going back. The system seemed to work, everyone knew where they stood and Charlie's team had the lowest injury and escape record. They were also known as the happiest team on the reserve.

Charlie jumped as a dragon below him snorted and started to uncurl. He stood and stretched, running his hands through rather dirty ginger hair, wincing as his back muscles protested. He watched as the dragons started to wake, some blinking sleepily, some roaring at being woken by the others, but one by one the dragons in his area awoke and started to pace around. Charlie looked at his watch, 7am on the dot. He smiled, the dragons were fed twice a day, by the day shift that came on duty at 7am, and dragons learned fast where food was concerned. Gradually, all the dragons made their way to the entrances of their enclosures ready for their breakfast. Cows with calves were nudging their babies away from the fences and already getting anxious about the approaching keepers getting too close. Bulls that were kept alone were displaying to one another aggressively and the young stock, calves of over a year who were enclosed in small groups were squabbling amongst themselves to get the front spot.

Charlie would be off duty at 7.30am, he was responsible for watching out for the keepers who fed in the mornings, and his relief would arrive after feeding was complete. As a safety measure all the enclosures were watched over by a keeper at all times, the other keepers being responsible for the day to day care of the dragons. Other teams had specific positions but Charlie liked to rotate his team every few shifts to stop them getting bored, and if truth be told, to stop him getting bored with one job all the time.

As 7.30 approached, a soft pop next to him let him know that he was now off duty. Tom was a bear of a man, rugged and tattooed like most of the men who worked on the reserve. Charlie was sure he was sixty or older, but Tom was as fit as any of them and an excellent keeper.

"Quiet night?" Tom asked, leaning over the safety rail to take in the activity below.

"Aren't they all this time of year?" Charlie replied with a smile.

"Yeah" Tom laughed "spring, that's when nights get hairy"

"Tellin' me!" Charlie laughed "I hope Arci behaves this year" he nodded towards a huge Ukrainian Iron Belly bull "I can't be doing with chasing him halfway around the world again"

At the moment the bull looked up, straight at the two men, snorting in their direction. Archimedes was the most valuable and aggressive bull in the reserve, he had broken free last year at the start of the mating season and it had taken half of the reserve staff nearly a month to round him up again.

"Yup, the healers were busy the day he got loose" Tom remarked dryly.

"Yeah I remember" Charlie replied, with an equal dryness to his tone, Charlie had been injured quite badly on the day Archimedes escaped. He'd taken to his broom immediately and tried to stun the dragon, other keepers were on their way but no one was fast enough to help him when he needed it most, Arci had swept him from his broom with a swipe of his tail. Although he'd been in agony most of the time, Charlie had insisted on going after the dragon, and refused to give in until he was caught and safely back in the reserve. Leaving several villages devastated and, Charlie suspected, quite a few cow dragons with a smile on their face.

"Anyway mate, have a good one, I'm off to bed, quick return"

"Buggers they are" replied Tom, sitting on the guard rail, his back already to Charlie and his attention on the dragons below "Seeya buddy"

Charlie apparated to the forest floor. Keepers were only permitted to apparate when they changed watches in the bunkhouses, and only to the forest floor. Too much magic interfered with the dragons and upset them. Upset dragons are dangerous, so Charlie set off to walk back to his cabin.

"Hey boss!" Charlie groaned inwardly as he heard the voice behind him. It was Phil 'Nelly' Nelson running to catch up with him, it wasn't that Charlie didn't like Nelly, he did – he was on the team after all, but all he wanted was a shower, food and bed.

"Go to bed Nel" Charlie sighed "Whatever it is, it can wait until 2 o'clock I'm sure"

"Charlie, mate!" Nelly stopped in front of Charlie grinning like an idiot. Nelly looked about twelve and had the biggest eyes on a man Charlie had ever seen, yet he was a quick and able keeper and an integral part of Charlie's team.

"No, whatever it is, no. Might be yes when I've had some sleep but right now – no"

"So you don't want me to bring all those lovely new trainee healers to the party on Friday then, ok, I'll make sure I tell the guys it was your idea…." Nelly waited for a reaction.

Charlie sighed "I'd get lynched either way!" he said "If I say yes, I'll have that bloody awful matron breathing down my neck again for allowing her 'delicate young ladies' to be seduced by you lot, and if I say no then I'll have to listen to you lot whining about not getting your leg over"

"Got it in one guv'nor!" Nelly grinned.

"Alright, but if anyone asks it's your idea and I have nothing to do with it, ok?"

"Fine by me, matron will blame you anyway, she's never forgiven you for bedding that trainee Mediwitch anyway" Nelly laughed as Charlie glowered, he continued in a high pitched voice, imitating the matron "Re-heally! Never have I witnessed such debauchery! You a team leader too Mr Weasley! These girls are very delicate and impressionable and you are taking advantage!"

"Yeah, she weren't impressed was she?" Charlie admitted reluctantly.

"What did you say to her again?" Nelly was virtually shaking with anticipation about hearing the story again, Charlie was his hero.

Charlie sighed "I said seeing as I was on the bottom, the girl was doing the taking and…"

Nelly interrupted, his words interspersed with laughter "asked her if she wanted to join in?"

"Yeah that's about it" Charlie said quietly, he'd got into a whole host of trouble for that one, and the story was legend on the reserve, it got brought up or referred to at least once a week, more if he was unlucky.

"Right Nel, off to bed like a good boy before I curse you there 'cos I'm knackered and I need sleep" Charlie ordered.

"Boss!" Nelly saluted and ran off towards the bunk house; Charlie shook his head although he was smiling. Nelly had far too much energy for someone who had just finished seven nights.

He was obviously looking to get laid at the party Charlie was hosting the following night, although Nelly was always looking to get laid. Charlie doubted that he'd fail; Nelly was popular with the girls. Charlie wondered who would turn up, he never quite knew.


	2. Chapter 2

**Dragon man**

_**Chapter 2 – Wizard - interrupted.**_

"We're off to see the wizard……" a voice rang out across the reserve in the darkness, Nelly's by the pitch Charlie reckoned.

"The wonderful wizard with booze!" Callie's voice finished gleefully.

This was joined by high pitched giggling and whoops of laughter, Charlie could hear the other muffled voices from his team getting louder as the group approached.

"Ah, Nelly you're a knob!" He recognised that one, they were the slightly nasal tones of Ben Ainslie, an Australian 'surfer dude' as Charlie called him, he was tall, blonde muscled and tanned, yet he strongly resented that he matched any such stereotype. His nick name was predictably, Oz. Amongst the others he picked up the Irish twang of Finn Magee. The luck of the Irish indeed, in his early thirties, Finn was wonderful with the nervous dragons, never letting them take advantage, but treating them with understanding and compassion. His dark hair, laced with premature grey, and shocking blue eyes had women falling at his feet. Some would say he barely noticed, he did, he just chose to pursue those who caught his eye well away from the jeering of his team mates.

Charlie sat on the covered few square feet at the front of his cabin that passed for decking and swigged from an ice cold bottle of beer and watched as the group approached, he smiled to himself as Nelly flitted from one young woman to another, obviously spoilt for choice. The girls all giggled and batted their mascara'd eyelashes at him, and at Oz and Finn. Charlie stood as they approached, shaking hands with the men and kissing Callie and the girls on the cheek. There were four girls, apprentice healers and all far too naïve and young for Charlie. Callie raised her eyebrows at him as one girl coloured as Charlie spoke to her, the poor girl was obviously painfully shy and had an instant crush on Charlie. As she moved away Charlie smiled at Callie's expression.

"Must be the famous Weasley charm" he grinned at her look of disgust

"Oh come off it gaffer" she laughed "It's the fact that you are a) a legend on the reserve b) a well know tart who will sleep with it if it has a heartbeat c) have your own cabin and d) have muscles on top of muscles and those come to bed eyes!"

"Why thank you Callie, although I do have some standards, they are not high but they are there" he replied, enjoying the banter.

"Bloody right they ain't high" she snorted "I've seen some of your one night stands and I wouldn't feed 'em to Arcy"

"Some of yours aren't much better" he retorted "The American? In my bed?"

"A mistake and you know it" Callie looked at her boots with mock regret "I can't believe you banned me for that"

"I wouldn't have done if she had been half way decent and I could have joined in" Charlie laughed as Callie punched him on the arm.

"You are _disgusting_" she complained "We have had this conversation before Charlie-boy and although I can definitely see what other women see in you, it does nothing for me"

"Yeah, I know" he laughed "Just remember my offer though" he winked as Callie looked disgusted again.

"Sure" she rolled her eyes "If I ever want kids, it's a date. You, me and a turkey baster…."

"No, you know the deal; it has to be the real thing…." He left the statement open ended.

"You need to get laid boss" she said matter of factly "You're getting annoying again" and with that she joined the others in the room behind them.

Charlie watched as Nelly moved in on his prey, the lad had certainly learned a few things since he'd started at the reserve; although not all of them dragon related granted. The girl was falling for every trick in the book and Charlie chuckled as Nelly stroked the girls face, smiling into her eyes. Making his way to the kitchen, Charlie helped himself to another beer, clanking bottles with Finn.

"How are we?" Finn asked

"Fine" Charlie returned "And you?"

"Pissed and happy" he replied laughing when Charlie grimaced.

"You are hard enough to understand at the best of times Finn, never mind when you're pissed"

"To be sure…" Finn said before joining Charlie laughing, it was a team joke, to add 'To be sure' onto the end of anything Finn said, and he took it good naturedly. Unlike Oz, who got huffy whenever he was greeted with the Aussie greeting 'G'day mate, stick another shrimp on the barbie'.

Charlie and Finn stood back together, watching the party heat up. Others had joined and the rooms were getting stuffy and crowded. Oz was dancing with the shy girl, who by all accounts wasn't that shy if the lipstick on Oz's face was any indicator. Nelly was weaving his way towards them, grinning from ear to ear.

"Boss man!" he slurred "Finny!" he held his hand up for a high five from each.

"Having fun?" Finn asked

"I'm in love, that's what I am" Nelly grinned, trying to remove the lids from the two bottles he had acquired.

"Here" Charlie flicked his wand and the tops sprang off neatly.

"You're drunk, that's what you are" observed Finn.

"And I'm gonna get laid" Nelly chortled "Unlike you two old saddo's, skulking in the kitchen, lads, seriously, there's some hot witches out there and you two aren't even _trying_"

"We don't need to try" Charlie said "It comes naturally to us"

"Yeah" sneered Nelly "That's why you haven't been shagged for 6 months"

"Hey, he might not have done, but I'm quite satisfied thanks" protested Finn.

"Course you are Finn" Nelly attempted to wink at him.

"I have my secrets, speaking of which, one's coming off duty about now so I'll bid you goodnight gentlemen"

Charlie laughed at Nelly's expression "See ya Finn, have a good one"

"Come on Finn, who is she?" Nelly demanded.

"That's be telling" Finn laughed as he disappeared out the back door and into the darkness.

"Bet he's going home for a hot date with his right hand" Nelly snorted.

An hour or so later and the party was in full swing, healers, trainers and other staff had joined and Charlie was sitting out on the deck, pretty well drunk and enjoying the sight of others enjoying themselves. He spoke to everyone and got involved, but the best part for Charlie was watching his guests have fun, he liked to people watch. He started as he heard footsteps beside him and turned to see dark blue robes billowing around calf length flat boots, women's boots. In his inebriated state he connected the blue robes with those of the matron of the hospital.

"Ah, matron" he said, wondering why his head wouldn't obey the order to lift and look her in the eye.

"The infamous Charlie Weasley I presume" came the rather stern reply.

Charlie frowned, the voice was different, lighter and not so whiney, and the matron appeared to have lost rather a lot of weight from her ankles and calves suddenly. His head finally lifted and he looked into the face peering down at him.

"Why matron" he smiled "I must have had a lot to drink because you look ten years younger and quite a lot thinner too"

"Thank you for the compliment Mr Weasley" she said, eyebrows drawn up in a way that could only be sarcastic "However I am not matron, I am assistant matron and I am here to ensure that the trainee healers are all tucked up in bed ready for their shift tomorrow. Some beds in the dorm are empty and I have been pointed in your direction to discover the whereabouts of the ones who are missing"

Charlie held a hand up "Whoa" he said, his voice as unsteady as his hand "Can you stop looking at me like that"

The eyebrows got higher "Like what?"

"Like I am the big baddy and you are the hero" he smiled cheekily.

"I am merely enquiring the whereabouts of my charges" she replied shortly "It is neither my care nor my concern what your part in their disappearance is, suffice to say that in the absence of matron, I am in charge of the reserve hospital and I have patients that will need treatment tomorrow and healers with hangovers do not learn well nor deliver effective treatments"

"Too…..many….big….words" Charlie grinned again "You are far too pretty to be a hideous matron"

"Again, an unbidden compliment, and quite unnecessary" The voice appeared to be losing patience "Are there any healers or trainees here that should be safely in their dorms?"

"Probably a few left, but if I were you I'd check the handlers dorms too, because a few of them may be receiving er, shall we say, private healing?"

"Thank you" she snapped "I'm much obliged" she added, sounding anything but.

"You are welcome" he responded "Beer?" he offered an un opened bottle that lay beside his chair.

"No" she said "Thank you, may I?" she indicated to the open door from where the sights and sounds of the party were erupting.

"Knock yourself out" he frowned a moment, reached out and grabbed her wrist "Although you may want a drink before you venture in there, it's not pretty"

Charlie dropped her wrist as if it were on fire as she looked firstly at the hand encircling her wrist and then coolly met his eyes.

"I assure you Mr Weasley, I have been a healer for many years and I have seen my fair share of body parts and drunken binges, I doubt it will shock me"

He held her gaze, smirking slightly at her before standing unsteadily and moving towards the door, he flicked his wand at the stereo in the corner, firstly knocking the speakers off the wall and then managing to turn the music off. Amid the groans and shouts of protest he held up his hand.

"Sorry guys, but the fun police are here and we are to all pack up and go to bed" he looked sideways at the woman standing next to him "This lovely lady is the assistant matron and she's come to take all you lovely healers off to your own beds instead of the ones you were planning on sleeping in" he winked at the woman before continuing "Now seeing as she's a little easier on the eye than the real matron, shall we do what she says?"

"Oh ma'am!" came the reply from the now not so shy girl, who had managed to disengage herself from Oz "You said we could come until midnight, and it's only quarter to!"

"You can't do much in fifteen minutes, can you Hayley?" she replied, regretting it immediately as she felt Charlie get closer.

"Wanna bet?" he whispered.

"Well, that says more about you than it does me" she smiled back before continuing "Come on ladies, I shall wait for you outside, you have five minutes to say your goodbyes" she then looked rather pointedly at Charlie "Which apparently is ample time" and turned on her heel and headed back on to the decking.

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	3. Chapter 3

**Dragon man**

_**Chapter 3 - reflections**_

"So you gave them permission to come then?" Charlie spoke from behind her.

"Yes" she said simply.

"Matron wouldn't approve you know" he teased.

"What matron doesn't know won't hurt her" she smiled.

"I didn't catch your name, assistant matron"

"That's because I didn't say it" she replied, still smiling.

"Well, I could always call you ma'am" his eyes twinkled wickedly "I like it, it's kind of kinky"

"My name is Juliet White" she conceded, taking the lesser of two evils.

"Well, Juliet, as you already know I am Charlie Weasley, the host of this little party" he continued when she didn't reply "And did you say matron was away?"

"She is currently back in England, visiting family and has left me in charge in her absence"

"It seems strange that we haven't met before" he quizzed.

"Not so strange seeing as I only started a few weeks ago, and have been on permanent nights since, my predecessor left rather a lot of work unfinished, now with that completed and matron indisposed I shall be working more sociable hours" Juliet smiled at Charlie, she realised that he wasn't as drunk as she'd first thought and that actually the rumours were quite true about him. He was a very attractive man.

"Why do you talk like that?" he asked head on one side.

"Talk like what?" she took an involuntary step back as he caught her off guard.

"You remind me off a school teacher, big long words and full sentences where only a few will do the job"

"I'm sorry if my words and sentences offend you" she replied smartly.

"And there you go again, I'm only winding you up" he smiled.

"Well, I…." Charlie grinned wider as the cool mask slipped.

"The correct response would have been 'piss off Charlie'" he laughed, Juliet felt uncomfortable under his scrutiny and teasing.

"I have a job to do, as I am sure you appreciate" she began, stopping as he started to laugh outright at her "Oh, piss off Charlie!" she finished.

"There you go!" he celebrated "I knew under that icy exterior you are a normal woman, keep talking like that and you run the risk of turning into matron, and that would be a damn shame"

"She warned me about you" Juliet smiled "Seems she was right"

"Oooh, what did the old bat say? That I'm" and he put on a high pitched whine "an uncouth foul mouthed yob?!"

"Pretty much" she laughed "But she said that you can charm the birds from the sky if you choose to"

"The Weasley charm you see" he winked at her "Works every time, except on matron"

They were interrupted by a few worse for wear healers and trainees spilling from the door to the cabin, Juliet smiled at Charlie as they stumbled down the wooden steps and onto the grass.

"Lumos" she said, lighting the way for the sorry looking group to see.

One of the girls reached up and kissed Charlie on the cheek "Thanks Charlie" she said "It was a great party"

"You are very welcome" he smoozed, making the girl blush "You'll be top of the invites next time"

Juliet moved to the head of the group, taking the lead "Come on then" she commanded, the professional exterior back firmly in place.

Calls of goodnight echoed across the dark reserve as Juliet lead them back to their dorms, with warnings that she was on duty all night and would be placing wards on the dorms, so if they were thinking of rejoining the party or sneaking out, they had better think again.

Charlie returned to what was left of the party, Nelly was looking rather forlorn now the object of his affections had been whipped from under his nose. He sat down heavily next to Charlie on the sofa.

"Who was the blonde then?" he slurred.

"I'm really glad we've got the day off tomorrow" Charlie observed "Because you won't be in any fit state for working"

"Don't avoid the question" Nelly looked at him from under half closed lids.

"You could at least open your eyes when you are looking at me" Charlie moaned.

"Still avoiding boss" Nelly reminded him, Charlie took a long swing of beer, grimaced and found a space for it amongst the debris on the coffee table.

"Juliet White, the new assistant matron"

"Humph" was all Nelly could manage.

Charlie took in the devastation that was now his living room and decided to call it a night, a few people slept where they had fallen, and he left them to it, covering Nelly with a blanket he made his way to bed and slept on top of his covers fully clothed.

The next morning saw Charlie glaring into his bathroom mirror, grimacing at his reflection. He wondered what other people saw when they looked at him. He could see the basics of what others saw, unruly red hair that seemed to do what it liked despite his best efforts, blood shot blue eyes and rather unmanly long eyelashes that seemed to melt the heart of any woman over fifty five. Freckles covering fair, and at the moment green tinged skin and stubble, lighter than his hair, almost blonde, covering his chin and cheeks. He switched the shower on, stepping under the spray and allowing it to wash away the remnants of the night, and refresh his mind and body. He wasn't actually that surprised to find himself wondering about the woman he had met the night before, Juliet. She had seemed intimidating at first, but he'd seen a glimpse of someone else underneath. He liked her, and he wondered what she thought of him, and what she was doing that morning after her night shift at the reserve hospital. His musings were cut short by Nelly barging into the bathroom; he greeted Charlie without missing a beat.

"Mornin' boss" he said, lifting the toilet seat.

"Nelly, I'm taking a shower" Charlie said a little annoyed.

"Need a pee" was his reply "Callie said hurry up, she needs one too"

"You have your own bathrooms you know" he grumbled as he stepped out of the shower, trying to avoid Nelly in the minute bathroom.

"Yours is closer, hurry up, we're going for brekkie" the door banged behind Nelly as he left the room.

Juliet was actually asleep at the moment Charlie was thinking of her, she'd seen all the healers and trainees to bed and completed her shift at the hospital. Moving silently from ward to ward, checking on patients and getting to know the staff better. The reserve hospital was mainly for the workers at the reserve, however it was the only wizarding hospital in Romania that offered better facilities and they often had patients from around the country to care for that the local small healers could not deal with. Juliet relished the chance she had to prove what she could do. At thirty one she was young for a matron, or even an assistant matron but she had worked hard and was determined to show what she could do while matron was away. She had been offered the job as assistant because of her experience with burns and bites from magical creatures, attained in the field across Europe.

She had also thought of Charlie during the long night, wondering how he had managed to upset matron so. She knew that matron disapproved strongly of the healers and trainees attending parties of any kind, and that her own slightly more liberal attitude by allowing them to go to the party under conditions, may back fire. But she believed that the trainees especially needed to let their hair down now and again. She could see how Charlie's manner might offend the straight laced matron, but the woman seemed to really genuinely dislike him, even be slightly intimidated by him. Juliet was real enough to realise that she herself was intimidated by him because she found him attractive; she doubted that the matron felt the same.

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	4. Chapter 4

**Dragon Man**

_**Chapter 4 – Common ground**_

"I want to see who is bloody well in charge and I want to see them now!" Charlie shouted down the welcome witch behind the desk.

"I'm sorry sir, but due to the outbreak of Dragon pox, you cannot enter the hospital except in a case of life or death" The witch was starting to sound desperate.

"It _will_ be a case of life or death shortly, you self important little sh" Charlie was brought up short by a blur of robes and a short effect stunning spell hitting him in the chest. He swayed a little on his feet, and blinked as he felt his body become unresponsive. He tried to reach for his wand to defend himself, old habits die hard, but found that he had been totally taken by surprise and progress was slow. The next thing he knew he was bound and being held face down on the floor, a rather pristine floor for an entrance hall he noticed obscurely.

"I suggest you stop struggling and allow the spell to wear off mate" a gruff voice informed him. Charlie was by this point absolutely livid; however the effects of the spell ensured that this could not be communicated to the two wizards who restrained him. He deduced correctly that they were security and had probably been alerted when he started shouting the odds at the desk. The action in the hall went on around him, he apparently went unnoticed. He watched many pairs of feet walk hurriedly past, some pushing wheels in front of them. He had been in the hospital several times before but could not remember it ever being so busy before. It then dawned on him that the welcome witch had told him that there was an outbreak of dragon pox.

Charlie started to groan as sensation and pain enveloped his body as the spell wore off and the security wizard officers helped him to his feet.

"You got a nasty gash there mate" observed a one of the officers.

"Really?" Charlie said, his voice dripping with sarcasm "Wow, is this the hospital? Isn't that somewhere you go when a dragon has chewed on your leg to get it fixed?"

"The hospital is closed sir" the welcome witch said from between the security wizards, earning herself a glare from Charlie.

"So I gather" he growled "How am I supposed to get this fixed then?" he indicated his leg, where the trousers hung in tatters and blood seeped from angry looking wounds.

"If you give me your name and dorm number, a healer will be dispatched to you when one becomes free" The welcome witch was starting to feel safe with the security wizards still holding Charlie by each arm.

"You already told me that and as I told you, I can't afford to sit around on my arse while there is work to be done!" Charlie's patience was wearing thin again.

"Sir, that is the only way you will get treatment today, go back to your dorm and await the attentions of a healer"

"Look, it's very simple, get me a healer and get my leg fixed, here and now and then I go away" Charlie spoke to her as if she were a child "I win – I get my leg fixed and I can go back to work. You win because I go away and stop annoying you, and by the way, I am a team leader I have a **cabin**, not a **dorm**"

"How dare you!" None of the assembled had noticed the assistant matron enter the entrance hall. Charlie looked at the high ceiling, noting the delicate glass work above them that filtered the Romanian sun this way and that onto the marbled floor. He took a deep breath and prepared to meet her eyes, ready to be well and truly reprimanded for his behaviour.

But when he did look, Juliet was glaring at the security wizards and the welcome witch, not at him. It was a nice change to not be in trouble.

"How dare you stun and assault a patient in need of treatment in this hospital?" She demanded her blue eyes cold and angry.

"Ma'am, you gave specific instructions that no one who didn't have suspected dragon pox was to enter the hospital!" The welcome witch had become a lot less cocky all of a sudden Charlie noted with pleasure.

"That does not mean you can restrain a patient who is already injured, possibly putting his life at risk" she had managed to control her tone, but the eyes said it all "You are not trained medical staff, and a patient who is obviously in considerable pain, with a bleeding leg wound is classed as an emergency, you should have called for a healer immediately"

"But Ma'am you said…." Juliet cut the welcome witch off sharply.

"I am well aware of what I said, but I expect my staff to exercise a little common sense. However, this is neither the time nor the place to have this discussion, I will speak with you later" she then turned to Charlie, who could not contain the smug smile on his face, he felt ridiculously pleased with himself "Charlie, I apologise for the behaviour of the staff, if you would like to follow me, I will deal with you personally, now"

She lead the way across the large entrance hall, to a large oak door near the main entrance that had a 'private' sign drunkenly hung over the handle. Charlie took a few seconds to admire her from behind as the security wizards and the welcome witch melted back behind the desk, glowering at Juliet's back.

"Hear that mate?" Charlie gloated to the nearest security wizard "A beautiful woman is going to deal with me" he raised his eyebrows suggestively at him "Personally" he added with more than a little self satisfaction, before sauntering after Juliet, rather hindered by the tattered trousers and gashes in his leg.

He shut the door behind them, taking in the chaos of the room he had just entered. Files were strewn across a large desk that was also littered with coffee cups and plates with food in varying stages of decay. The curtains hung at strange angles at dirty windows making the room a lot darker than it otherwise might have been and the carpet was beleaguered by screwed up pieces of paper, discarded sweet wrappers and general debris.

"Nice office" Charlie observed, a note of surprise in his voice, he had expected someone so in control to keep her office as neat as his mothers kitchen, not like this.

"It's not mine" she said her back still to Charlie as she cleared what he was now able to identify as a healing couch "This is matron's office" she finished, turning to smile at the look of incredulity on his face.

"You're kidding?!" he exclaimed "The dirty old bag!"

Juliet chose to ignore Charlie's jibe at her superior, she finished clearing the couch and ran a cleaning spell over it, turning away to a cupboard that contained salves, taking out the things she would need. Despite her calm exterior, Juliet was keyed up on the inside. Most of her thoughts recently had been occupied by the man who stood bleeding behind her, she had found herself wondering about him, asking others about him and generally realised that he was taking up a lot of her time without actually being there. It made what she said next a double edged statement, and apparently Charlie was the king of double entendre.

"Please take off your trousers, what's left of them, and lay on the couch" she said to somewhere above his head.

"On a first date?" he quipped "You could have at least bought me a drink first"

Juliet could only hope that she wasn't blushing like a teenager "Do you want me to fix that leg?" she asked, her face schooled into the picture of innocence "Or would you rather I sent you back to your cabin and let you bleed until a healer can deal with you?"

Charlie had been removing his trousers as she spoke and he swung himself up onto the couch as she stood by waiting to assist should he need it, he leaned closer towards her a naughty grin on his face.

"I'd much rather you dealt with me, Ma'am" he said cheekily, winking at her.

Juliet did not answer as she was muttering spells to clean and soothe Charlie's leg; he took full advantage of the situation which she was learning was something of a Charlie trademark.

"You know, I've been wondering how I've missed someone as lovely as you all the times I've been in here" he said "I mean you've been here a while now, and I'm a frequent visitor and I've definitely never seen you before because I would have remembered" he watched her for a reaction, slightly non plussed that there was none, nothing visible anyway, so he continued.

"You said that you worked nights though, so maybe that's why. I must say you do look good for someone who has worked permanent nights; I wish I looked like you when I've finished a week of nights. They're killers, although at least it gives me a break from sitting alone in my cabin, reading my mum's letters" he paused again, looking for the smallest sign that she had registered his not so subtle reference to the fact he was single. Her face deadpan, Juliet was desperately trying to ignore his flirting and get on with healing his leg; her concentration was being stretched to the limit.

"I was thinking that maybe I'd have another little get together on my days off, three and a half weeks on again so I think we all deserve a break" he stopped again "I can't believe it's been three and a half weeks nearly since you rescued those trainee's from themselves that night, seems like a lot longer actually. Anyway, it would be nice if you'd come to the party, I mean you could keep a proper eye on your 'charges' as you put it and you would definitely add a touch of class"

Juliet's focus snapped and she looked at him, regretting it immediately, seeing him so close, she was thrown off her stride and for once could not think of a suitably caustic reply.

"I'm not sure that it'd be a good idea" she said quietly.

"Why not?" he demanded "It's no good for you cooped up in here all the time, you need to let your hair down and have some fun"

"A party with a load of drunken and lecherous healers, trying to control a bunch of over sexed trainee healers does not sound like fun to me" she replied, turning away to the cupboard again, reading labels on bottles of salve before choosing three.

"Then what does?" he asked "Come on, you have a gorgeous, if humble man" he laughed at his own joke and Juliet was glad that he couldn't see the smile that crossed her face "Flirting like mad and asking you out, on a date of your choice, anything you want"

Juliet straightened her shoulders, this was getting rather heavy all of a sudden and she needed to lighten the atmosphere, before she said or did something she might regret.

"Do you flirt with all the healers or am I a special case?" she asked her tone light.

"No, you are definitely very special" he said, his face sincere. Juliet was sure that it was a look that he had perfected over the years to get what he wanted.

"Ok" she said unsure where to take this now, she wanted to go out with him, a lot. But she certainly didn't want to fall at his feet.

"Ok what? You'll let me take you out?" he pushed the point.

"I'd really like to see around the reserve" she smiled slightly as she saw a fleeting look of surprise on his face "And I don't mean the silly tourist tours that run, I mean see it properly"

"I like a woman that can surprise me" he said "You're on, meet me for breakfast in the canteen on Saturday morning and I'll show you around; the official, unofficial tour"

"Eight o'clock?" she asked slyly "Or will you still be partying?"

"Party's cancelled" he grinned "I got a better offer, and I want a clear head"

"You can put your trousers on now" she said, turning away shyly.

"I liked it much better when you asked me to take them off" he replied saucily, jumping down from the couch and pulling the blood stained and ripped trousers on.

Juliet put the three bottles of salve on the couch he had recently vacated "Mix a little of these together and put it on the affected area three times a day" she ordered "Any problems, come back, tell the welcome witch to fetch me"

"Does that mean that if I have trouble putting on the salve that you will do it for me?" he asked, from behind, somewhere close to her left ear.

"Don't push your luck" she said smiling, her expression not betraying the rate her blood pressure was climbing, she walked over and opened the door for him "Good bye Charlie" she said pointedly.

"Until Saturday" he said, smiling at her again "And thank you, my leg feels great" this time she did blush as he kissed her lightly on the cheek, grateful that he was walking away from her and couldn't see.

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	5. Chapter 5

**Dragon Man**

_**Chapter 5 – Sunny day**_

Charlie was nervous, although he would never have admitted it. He stood outside the canteen, the squeak of the door each time it opened was starting to annoy him. The canteen was starting to quieten down, the busiest times were between 7 and 8.30am, when those going on duty and those coming off got their breakfast and supplies for the day. He checked his watch for the umpteenth time, it said 8.09, he tapped it, last time he looked it had said 8.08 and that had been at least five minutes ago in his estimation.

He tried to relax, taking in the scenery in the watery morning light. The dense wooded area and the hilly terrain beyond that housed the dragon population were home to him and he often took it for granted, as people tend to do with their immediate surroundings. He watched as puffs of smoke and the odd plume of flame appeared now and again, showing that the dragon handlers and their charges were going about their daily business.

He looked at his watch again, 8.15, well he'd thought it would at least be 8.30 by now; he'd obviously been stood up. Juliet didn't strike him as the kind of dippy woman that was running late for everything, or got held up for more than a few minutes. It was obvious, the great romancer Charlie Weasley had been stood up. Not that he'd been that for a while, he mused. He'd been single now for over six months and single in every sense of the word. No woman had even come close to catching and keeping his attention for more than a few minutes. But he was intrigued by Juliet, she was different to most of the other women he knew or had known in the past. Juliet was a little like his mother and sister, but not too much. Maybe it was the fact that he respected her, seemingly automatically.

He looked at his watch once more, 8.17. This was no good at all; he was now in serious danger of losing all the street cred he had with his team. They would soon be drifting their way to the canteen for a lazy breakfast, and if Nelly caught onto what was happening then Charlie would never hear the last of it. He sighed, standing with his hands on his hips trying to decide what to do. Should he go looking for her? Or was the fact that she wasn't here enough of a sign? Did he really need to hear it in person? Charlie stood for a moment thinking these things through and came to the conclusion that he needed some breakfast. He grimaced as the door squeaked when he opened it, he was going to give the duty manager a piece of advice regarding an oil can and that door with his breakfast! He headed for the counter, sighing like a stroppy teenager when he realised there was a queue.

"You made it then" Charlie turned on his heel, Juliet stood beside him smiling. It took him a few minutes to get his mouth to work.

"Er, well yeah" he said, slightly off hand.

"And here was me thinking that you had slept in" she said.

"Oh, no, no" he said his mind working overtime he realised that he'd been outside waiting and she'd been inside all the time "Have you been waiting long?" he didn't trust himself to say that he'd been outside, fretting that he'd been stood up; he might have betrayed his insecurity and that was something he wanted to keep to himself.

"About twenty minutes, but I thought I'd wait for you to have breakfast" she smiled again and Charlie instantly relaxed.

"That's great" he said "Go and grab a table, what can I bring you, full English? Taste of home?"

"Just a tea and some toast for me thanks" she replied.

"You can't go all day on two bits of scrappy toast!" he said feigning shock "You need some proper food inside you for what I've got planned!"

"Sounds……interesting" she said, realising that she was flirting with him again.

"It will be, I promise you that" he said as she picked a table, seating herself carefully.

XXxx00xxXX

He was right; the day had been interesting, and fun. Charlie had proved to be a good companion and they seemed to feel easy in each others company. He'd shown her the reserve in its entirety; from the nesting boxes that held the eggs waiting to hatch to the large breeding enclosures that were used during the spring mating season. They had walked most of the time, taking to brooms when the terrain became impassable on foot.

Charlie had introduced her to each dragon as if it were a personal friend, giving Juliet their past histories, their likes and dislikes, their little ways. For her part she found it far from boring, Juliet had always admired dragons, but like most people, from afar. Today Charlie had gotten her up close and personal with them. Charlie had enjoyed having a captive audience and had been gracious. Holding her elbow when the going got tough, flying alongside and helping her to land.

They had found themselves laughing a lot, and Juliet had not laughed quite so much nor so easily for a long time. Charlie found that he wanted to impress her, but not with sly jokes about his excellent bedroom skills like he usually did, but by being himself, sharing his interest and love of dragons and hoping that was enough. It was, as they flew back towards the staff village, neither wanted the day to end. Unfortunately the setting sun had other ideas and as they say, time waits for no man, or woman.

They landed near to the staff quarters, the dorm windows were all lit, and various music drifted to them as they stood. The cabins were slightly behind, more secluded by trees and shrubs, Charlie suddenly realised that he didn't even know where Juliet lived.

"Thank you Charlie" she said, smiling up at him "I have really enjoyed today"

"Me too" he agreed "It's been a good day"

There was a slightly awkward silence, it seemed that neither wanted to make a move to leave, or to stay.

"Do you have a cabin then? Or do you live in the hospital?" he asked, mentally kicking himself because he realised how it sounded.

"I have a cabin now" she replied "I stayed in the dorms for a while until they cleaned up an old cabin and fixed the roof, but it's ok now, not that far from yours actually, just behind" it was her turn to berate herself inwardly.

"Oh right, well good" he said.

"Look, this is just stupid" Juliet began in for a penny and all that…. "I've had a really great time today, and not just because of the dragons, because I enjoyed spending time with you. I'd like to say thanks; do you want to come over for dinner? I'm starving"

Charlie managed to speak through the idiotic grin that plastered itself across his face "I'd love to, thanks" and in a brave moment took her hand as she started to walk in the direction of the cabins, she smiled briefly at him as he did so, wondering if they would get as far as dinner.

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	6. Chapter 6

**Dragon Man**

_**Chapter 6 – confessions **_

"So how was dinner with the scary matron then boss?" Nelly asked as they all assembled bright and early on Monday morning ready for the working week.

"None of your business" Charlie replied, not looking up from the sheet of paper he held "and please don't be telling people I had dinner with the matron, make sure you stress that it was the _assistant matron_"

"You shagged her didn't you?" Callie piped up.

"I refer you to my earlier statement" Charlie replied in a flat voice.

"That means yes" Oz chimed in "Was she all fire underneath that cool exterior?"

"I bet she was" Nelly mused "Women like that always are"

"You going to see her again?" Finn asked, his Irish drawl finally getting Charlie to raise his head.

"Why are we discussing my sex life instead of work?" he asked politely, but there was a note of impatience in his tone.

"See told you" said Oz, completely ignoring Charlie's question "He said sex life, if he hadn't shagged her then he'd have said love life"

"Enough!" Charlie said suddenly, a little rougher than usual "Come on, Finn and Oz you can go on a perimeter run please, and actually make sure you go, don't just check the corners and then hide for an hour skiving" he ignored their groans, a perimeter run meant flying to the very edge of the reserve and checking the fencing was intact and the wards and charms that kept the dragons in and the public out were in place and working, a tedious job.

"Callie, you can come with me and Nelly you can go on watch" he finished.

He stalked away in the direction of the dragons enclosure's with Callie and the others wildly waving hands, having a silent conversation behind Charlie's back.

"Now Callie!" he shouted.

"Coming boss!" she replied with a shrug of her shoulders to the others.

"Sorry Charlie" Callie said quietly as she caught up with him "We shouldn't have done that"

"It's ok" he conceded "It's just I'm a bit…..bothered about it all"

"Why? What happened?" she asked genuine concern on her face.

"Nothing" he stopped and faced her "Well, something, but well nothing bad anyway"

"You old dog!" she shoved him playfully "I knew it, she fell for the famous Weasley charm then!"

"Not like that Cal" he chuckled "And you can quote me on this, no we didn't have sex"

"So _that's_ why you're in a mood then"

"No, that's the strange thing, it didn't really cross my mind that we didn't, we talked for ages and when I left I think I actually felt better than if we had"

"Seriously?" she asked a look of disbelief on her face "It didn't cross your mind, not once?"

"Well, obviously I thought about it, at certain points during the evening" he frowned at her wide eyed expression "but it wasn't the end of the world, I enjoyed the day just the way it was"

"Sounds like you are the one falling for her charms there boss" Callie mused "Very strange"

"I like her, a lot" he said simply "I want to get to know her properly, not just bed her and move on"

"Don't tell me that the great romancer Charles Weasley has fallen for one woman?" she teased.

"Not quite" he laughed at her "But I'm liking it at the moment"

"But you don't want to sleep with her?" she asked.

Charlie looked at Callie as if she had sprouted another head "Of course I do! She's gorgeous, and yeah I really fancy her, but I'm more than willing to put the time and effort in to see where else it could go"

"You go for it boss" Callie encouraged "You deserve a good woman for a change"

"Thanks Cal" he said, starting to walk again "And don't say anything to the others will you?"

"My lips are sealed, I won't let the guys know that you have gone all soft over a woman, where we going anyway?"

"Arcy needs bloods doing, mating season starts after Christmas and he's been a bit quiet lately, don't want him passing anything onto the cows" he informed.

"Great" she rolled her eyes "Testing the moodiest dragon on the reserve for an STD, oh joy is me"

XXxx00xxXX

A few evenings later Juliet sat on the porch of her cabin, swinging gently to and fro on the swing seat she had 'acquired'. She sipped at a glass of wine as she curled her legs under the blanket for warmth, the warming spell she had cast was working well but she liked the comfort of a blanket. Being brought up by muggle parents, she still found wonder in the fact she could sit on the porch, on a starry and cold night in Romania and with a twitch of her wand, be warm. She rested her head back onto the seat, thinking about Charlie and the way they had been spending so much time together recently. She really liked him and he made her laugh, which was always attractive. Of course, she had a few misgivings, who doesn't in her situation? She worried that Charlie was just having fun, that he was enjoying the casual aspect at the moment, that they had fun and that he didn't think of her as someone that he could be with. They hadn't slept together, although he was tender towards her when they were together, she worried that he just didn't want to sleep with her, and that's why things hadn't progressed. Maybe he just liked spending time with someone his own age, who had similar interests. Where as she had started to develop something dangerously like feelings for him. They had kissed, rather passionately at some points, and he held her hand, or offered his arm whenever they went anywhere, and they had been spending almost every evening together since their first date, in fact this was the first evening they had spent apart since that day.

Juliet gasped quietly as Charlie appeared on the porch steps, smiling at her. For a few moments she entertained the fanciful notion that somehow her mind had conjured him up.

"Hello" she said, returning the smile "I wasn't expecting you"

"Sorry" he apologised "I just thought…" and held up a bottle of wine by way of explanation.

"Lovely" she said, moving across on the seat, making room for him next to her "There's a glass in the kitchen"

Charlie stood in the cabin doorway, he could see the glass in the kitchen "Accio glass" he commanded, neatly catching the glass as it winged his way to him. He opened the wine, poured himself a glass and some into Juliet's now empty glass, and sat down.

"You know, I never think to do that" she said.

"What?" he frowned slightly.

"Use magic like that, I mean I know all the spells but I suppose it's still not second nature to me"

"Yeah, you said your parents are muggles, didn't you go to a magical school then?" he asked.

"Yes, I went to Beauxbatons" she replied "But that was only at thirteen, there wasn't really anything to indicate I was a witch until then, nothing that my parents noticed anyway" "But surely there must have been something?" Charlie quizzed "That you can look back on now and think 'oh that's why that happened'" "There was, yes" she sighed "But my parents thought I was just playing up, and then when my mum started to look for answers, she took me to everyone from a psychiatrist to a priest. Of course after that I just tried to suppress and hide it, it wasn't until my dad's sister visited us from France that it all fit together, she's a witch, with muggle parents"

"So she realised what was going on?" he asked "Must have been confusing, I mean teenage years are hard enough, without thinking you are weird into the bargain!"

Juliet laughed "Yes, it wasn't pleasant but my Aunt had apparently been banished from the family for her 'strange behaviour' and now I was doing exactly the same. My dad grovelled a bit and she came to visit, I went back to France with her and entered Beauxbatons"

"Your parents disowned you?" Charlie felt a strange mix of anger and sorrow.

"Oh no!" Juliet's eyes opened wide with a need to make him understand "They did everything they could, paid the tuition fees, and I came home in the holidays, but they didn't understand, nor did they pretend to. They just got on with it, and gladly let me do the same"

"So you have contact with them?" he asked.

"Yup, we speak quite often, but we're just not a close family, never have been" she smiled at him "Not like yours"

"That'd be weird" he spoke quietly "I can't imagine not being nagged by my mum about not eating the right food, or tormented by my older brother, Bill. He's great, well he is now I'm bigger than him and I can take him on!"

Juliet laughed "You're always talking about them; you must miss them a lot"

"I do, especially my mum, because she spoils me" he laughed "And my sister because I spoil her"

"Who wouldn't spoil you?" she asked, and suddenly the atmosphere became thick between them, Charlie leaned towards her, getting closer.

"I'd spoil you rotten" he said, and without the look in his eyes and the intensity of the atmosphere, it would have been a very bad and corny chat up line "I've been wanting to say, well ask, well….I don't know, I wanted to talk…." He flustered through the sentence, realising he couldn't actually put into words what he wanted to say, and gave up. He cupped her chin and kissed her, very gently, but there was a wealth of emotion behind it. Juliet moved closer and the kiss deepened, her hands caressed his shoulders as he pulled her closer. They had kissed before, probably more passionately on the surface, but this was just different. He broke away first and rested his forehead against hers gently.

"And that's really what I wanted to say" he whispered.

"Keep talking" she said smiling, initiating another kiss.

Charlie left early the next morning, before it got light, with a spring in his step that would have given it away to his team immediately. He smiled all the way back to his cabin, and grinned at his own reflection in the mirror as he shaved.

"Well, Weasley, looks like you got yourself a rather hot girlfriend!" he said with more than a trace of smugness.

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	7. Chapter 7

**Dragon Man**

_**Chapter 7 – Parting**_

As Christmas approached on the reserve snow covered the ground most of the time, the dragons were lethargic and the staff were getting into the Christmas spirit. Each team took it in turns to work the Christmas period, out of the six teams, three worked over Christmas and had their leave over New Year. The other three had a Christmas break and covered the reserve over New Year. This year Charlie's team were having Christmas off, returning to work over the New Year period, and by a stroke of luck they weren't on nights over New Year, that fell to another unlucky team. Although they did have to be at work bright and early on New Year's Day, hangovers and all.

Charlie stood with his team after their long shift had finished, with only a week to go the team were making plans about where they were spending Christmas and with whom.

"You taking Juliet home to meet your family then?" Oz asked Charlie.

"No" he sighed "She's working over Christmas and New Year, matron is still AWOL"

"That's a bit harsh" Callie joined "That stiff old bag deciding to leave it all to Juliet"

Charlie was cautious about saying too much, matron was in fact ill, and probably wouldn't be returning to work at all, which left Juliet in limbo until they knew either way. She was still the assistant matron but had all the responsibility of a matron, without the perks. She had confided the information in him, that the reserve managers had told her, and he wasn't about to breach her trust – things were going far too well for that.

"So you'll be staying for a bit of Christmas nookie then boss?" Finn winked at him.

"No Finn I won't" Charlie responded in an even tone, yet a muscle jumped in his cheek, he really wanted to do the usual thing and visit his family at Christmas, last year he'd only made it for New Year and spent most of that with Bill, George and Oliver Wood in a nightclub, hardly seeing the younger ones or his parents. He knew his mum would probably throw a blue fit if he were to suddenly say he was staying, and she'd know it was for a woman, and she'd kill him. But he really didn't want to leave Juliet either.

"Aw, you're gonna leave a stunner like that running loose around here with all that mistletoe?" Nelly teased.

"Some people don't jump into bed with anything at the drop of a hat you know Phillip!" Charlie growled it was a sore point to him; he _was_ concerned that someone might make a move on Juliet while he wasn't there, and deep down Charlie was a protective and almost jealous type, not overtly, but he was all the same. And he was going to miss her.

"Ohhhh, Igor's working Christmas isn't he?" Callie said with a knowing look on her face, she'd had a couple of run ins with Igor, a Russian wizard who was convinced that every woman at the reserve had a crush on him, including Callie. He was seemingly ignorant to her protestations that he was really not her type, at all.

"I'm not worried about that" Charlie said, packing his gear into his bag "I'm just going to miss her that's all"

"Awww poor ickle Charlie gonna miss his girl mwwwaaahhh!" Oz said with glee.

"One day Oz" Charlie sighed, swinging his bag onto his shoulders and turning to face him "You will grow up and stop thinking with your dick"

"You mean like you just have?" Oz responded "'Cos you were the biggest player of us all matey"

"Yeah, I had fun" Charlie conceded "But I've also had relationships that lasted longer than breakfast, that meant something, one day, when it happens to you, you'll understand"

"Oh get the relationship guru!" Callie laughed "Six weeks with a woman and he's an expert, isn't this _your_ longest relationship?"

Charlie looked slightly uncomfortable "This is different" he defended "It's just easy and fun and I like the way it's going" he caught sight of their faces, with expressions ranging from disbelief so outright amusement "And I don't care how much you take the piss, I like her and I'm not going to hide that to appear tough"

They started towards the staff village together; this was their last shift before heading off for their separate destinations. Charlie, Callie, Nelly and Finn would take a portkey together to London, from where Charlie would travel to The Burrow and Finn to Ireland, both Callie and Nelly's families live near London. Oz had a separate portkey directly to Australia, the portkeys were specially made and activated for the reserve staff at Christmas, so they did not have to spend precious time on the floo network or exhaust themselves apparating for hours at a time. Charlie tried not to think that it would be his last night with Juliet for a week.

XXxx00xxXX

Charlie dressed quickly, trying not to wake Juliet. It was the morning of his departure and if she was asleep, then by his logic, he didn't have to say good bye.

"Are you off?" A sleepy voice said from beneath the blankets.

"Yeah" he turned, face apologetic "Sorry babe, I didn't want to wake you" he leaned over and kissed her on the cheek gently.

"Just because I don't see you leave doesn't mean I won't miss you" she smiled.

"I know, I'll miss you too" he sighed "You know, I think I'll stay, I hate the thought of you being alone at Christmas"

"Don't start that again Charlie" she warned, pushing herself up on one elbow and glaring at him, it was as close as they had gotten to cross words in their short relationship "Your family need you to go home, and you know they do. And you need to see them, I'll be fine"

"I know, it's just….well you'll only have a bunch of horny dragon handlers for company, and they can get a bit lairy with a drink inside them"

"There's the healers too you know" she protested "And anyway, there's only one horny dragon handler I'm interested in…." she reached up and kissed him "So stop stressing, go home, have a wonderful Christmas and we can make up for lost time when you get back"

"Don't tease me" he groaned, kissing her again.

And with that Charlie took his leave, his step dragged for quite a while, even as he got safely to London and made his way to Diagon Alley and onto the floo network. He did brighten on entering the burrow's kitchen and seeing the Christmas preparations, and of course his mum, standing with her hands wrung together as he stepped out of the fireplace towards her.

Juliet dressed and made her way to her office, despite it being her day off, with Charlie gone there seemed little point in sitting around in her cabin. She knew she would count the days until he came back, she would miss him a lot, he was about the only person she had spent time with on the reserve. Her position ensured that she couldn't mix with the healers and trainees on a social basis. She would have liked to, but it was frowned upon, management felt that it would reduce the staff's respect for her. Juliet was quite used to being on her own, and it didn't bother her. She wondered how that might pan out if her and Charlie had the future they both thought they did. He was a people person, he didn't like being on his own much, and apparently he was the 'unsociable' one in his family, liking his own space more than others.

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	8. Chapter 8

**Dragon Man**

_**Chapter 8 – Best of both worlds**_

Charlie had enjoyed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with his family. The tree, the food and the company had all been excellent as usual. He'd enjoyed spending time with his family, especially his mum, he missed her a lot. He'd even admired his dad's updated collection of electrical equipment. But used to being on the go for eighteen to twenty hours a day he was starting to fidget by Boxing Day, not least because he was missing Juliet like hell.

The children had been wonderful, and it made Charlie smile to see the looks of disapproval from their parents when they opened their presents from him. Noisy and sugar filled treats had not been popular with the parents.

"Just you bloody wait!" Bill had hissed as Victiore had opened a large box of sweets and Charlie had given the go ahead to eat as many as she wanted, and Fleur's glower got darker when the child opened a doll that was bewitched to cry and laugh, and generally make a nuisance of itself.

"Thank you Charlie" she said sardonically "One crying baby in the house is not enough?"

"I tell you, when you have kids little brother, revenge will be sweet!" Bill said.

"Charlie?!" Ginny exclaimed "Have kids, blimey is it possible to _get_ someone that drunk without killing them? I mean he'd have to be pretty wasted to forget that he's a commitment phobe!"

"And a girlfriend might help" George chimed in.

"Wife!" countered Molly, glaring at Charlie menacingly.

"Well, as it happens I have one" Charlie grinned smugly at the assembled family.

"A wife?" Arthur choked on his mince pie, as the whole room suddenly became still, no one dare look at Molly.

Charlie entertained the idea of toying with them for a while and decided that he liked his limbs unbroken "No, a girlfriend"

"You have a girlfriend?" Molly sounded more amazed than Charlie liked, was it so shocking?

"Yes, her name is Juliet and we've been together a couple of months now" he told them.

"What's she like?" Molly asked with an edge to her voice that the Weasley wives instantly recognised.

"Wonderful" Charlie replied simply "She's the assistant matron at the reserve hospital, and I can really see this one going somewhere"

"Other than your bed?" Ron chuckled.

Charlie laughed, with more than a little conceit "There's more to life than sex"

"There is for the rest of us Charlie, but you I wasn't so sure" Bill said.

"That's enough!" Molly was looking uncomfortable with the topic of conversation. She wanted for all the world some grandchildren from Charlie, but she didn't want to think about how they arrived, not her boys….oh no. She changed the subject swiftly "So, are you Weasley men going out tonight then?"

"Oh yes" Bill smiled "The Boxing day pi…"

"William!" his mother warned, as he gave her his best innocent look.

"Knees up" he finished.

XXxx00xxXX

Charlie had one arm around Bill's shoulder and the other around his brother in law's, Harry Potter. He wasn't really sure who was holding who up, but so far it had been a good night. As George, Percy, Ron and Arthur entered the next pub; Charlie held Harry and Bill back slightly, hovering by the entry to a rather dank alleyway.

"You know Harry, you have been married to my sister almost a year now" he mused, his face blank. Bill turned his face away lest Harry should see him laughing.

"I know Charlie" Harry said a little bemused "I was there"

"But I only made it in the nick of time" Charlie remembered, his grip tightened on Harry's shoulder "So I didn't get to have a little chat with you before hand"

Had his eyes not been fixed on Charlie, Harry would have noticed Bill's shoulders shaking with laughter.

"Er, Charlie really its fine!" Harry spluttered "Bill had a word, and your dad, and George, and Ron, oh and Percy. So I think they had it covered"

"Percy?" Charlie looked mildly surprised "Who knew he'd grown a pair? Anyway, back to Ginny…."

At this point Bill and Charlie both towered over Harry, blocking the exit from the alley, Harry loved the Weasley's like his own family, but the picture in front of him was intimidating none the less.

"Ginny is very" Charlie spoke quietly "_very_ important to us. I would be…"

"We" Bill corrected.

"Sorry Bill, we, would be very disappointed if she were ever hurt or upset in any way" Charlie continued.

"I know, I mean I love Ginny…." Charlie cut Harry off mid flow.

"But not as disappointed or angry as Ginny, who is more than capable of hexing you into another dimension, so our advice…." Both brothers grinned at Harry's odd expression, a mixture of confusion and relief "Keep her happy because we've been on the receiving end of her temper before, and it is not a place you want to be if you intend of fathering children"

"You bastards!" Harry laughed outright "I really thought you were going to give me 'the talk'!"

Charlie and Bill laughed "As Charlie said, Ginny is so capable of looking after herself that we wouldn't dream of interfering!"

The three men entered the pub gently shoving and teasing each other, the drinks were already in and the party continued.

Sometime later, thinking back Charlie couldn't really remember, he cornered Harry for the second time that night.

"Hey Harry, I want to ask you something"

"Oh yeah?" Harry regarded him with some suspicion "What?"

"These telephone's, how do you use them?" he missed Harry's guarded pose.

"What? Why?" Harry was a little thrown.

"My girlfriend, she works in the hospital and she has one of them on her desk, for emergencies to contact muggles I think"

"And you want to know how it works now?" Harry didn't know Charlie that well, and he was fast getting the impression he was a little weird.

"Well, yes, so I can telephone her" Charlie explained.

"Now?" Harry frowned at him again.

"Is it so shocking that I want to speak to my girl on Christmas day? I'm far too drunk to floo, and I want to hear her voice" Charlie almost whined.

"Charlie, for one it's Boxing Day and you need a number and then she might not be there, and if she is you said it's for emergencies only, you both might get into trouble"

Charlie unfolded a worn piece of paper taken from his pocket with a grin, when Harry looked it bore a telephone number "So?" Charlie prompted.

"You need to speak to Hermione, she has a mobile" Harry decided "Oh actually so has Ron, not that he knows how it works though"

Having gotten through to a rather drunk Ron what they wanted, Harry managed to work the mobile enough to connect the call and gave Charlie the handset.

"Just speak when she answers" Harry told Charlie "Simple as that"

Charlie took the phone outside quickly, the funny noise on the end stopped and his face broke into a grin as he heard Juliet's voice.

"Reserve hospital, Assistant matron speaking" she sounded nervous he thought.

"Hey gorgeous" he grinned into the receiver "Tell me you are naked under those robes"

"Charlie?!" Juliet yelped "What are you doing?"

"I'm phoning my girlfriend on Boxing Day" he replied.

"Well, I know that" she said, smiling "But how? I mean I didn't think you even knew how a phone worked"

"I don't but that doesn't matter, I just wanted to hear your voice, are you ok?"

"I'm missing you" she said "But apart from that it's been quiet, are you having a good time?"

"It's been great but I miss you, we're all out tonight, my dad, brothers a family Boxing Day tradition, and I've told them all about you, no doubt my mum will be demanding to meet you and I thought Easter, if you can get the time off"

"Well, we can discuss that when you get back" she was a little taken aback that he'd told his family about her, but pleased, very pleased "Which is soon"

"Mmmmm" he grinned "Thank Merlin, I can't wait to see you"

"Me either" she said "It was a lovely surprise, calling me like this but if I get caught on this phone we'll both be in trouble and whoever owns that phone will curse you for running their bill up"

"I know, I'd better go get drunk some more" he paused as she laughed, very strange girlfriends weren't supposed to approve of things like that, he liked it "I hope you are behaving"

"Of course, and likewise" she said.

"I am" he confirmed "Bye babe, see you soon"

"Bye Charlie" she said with tears welling, she mustn't cry! Not until he'd got off the phone at least. She was just about to replace the handset when she heard his voice again.

"Juliet?" he sounded different, it caught her attention.

"Yes?"

"I love you" he said, she identified the difference as nervousness.

"Oh Merlin Charlie!" she did start to cry now, the hours she had put in over Christmas and missing him came out.

"I'm sorry, oh shit, don't cry" he pleaded.

"Sorry" she said as clearly as she could "You took me by surprise"

"Sorry, look forget it" he suddenly felt, and sounded sober.

"No!" she almost shouted "I won't forget it, it's the best Christmas present ever, except if you were here to tell me"

"Which I will be very soon" he promised "I meant it, I do love you"

"I love you too Charlie" she said, hearing him breathe in sharply.

"Scary isn't it?" he laughed a little.

"Yeah" she agreed "But good"

"Definitely good" he agreed "Right, well I really have to go now"

"I know, see you soon" and he was gone.

Juliet stared at the phone for a long time and then decided that she'd done enough work for now, she'd never concentrate anyway. She closed her office and went back to her cabin, for a hot bath and a glass of wine with her thoughts.

Charlie smiled as he looked at the amazing contraption that had enabled him to speak to his girl, he felt like a bit of a wimp, telling her he loved her while he was drunk and over the telephone, but it was done now, and she'd said it too. Charlie headed back inside to get _really_ drunk and celebrate in style. He noticed the men in front of him; in dark clothes as he re entered the pub, but didn't pay much heed to them. He would regret that for a long time to come.

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	9. Chapter 9

**Dragon Man**

_**Chapter 9 – Night of the living dead.**_

Bill laughed and shook his head at Charlie, "What?" Charlie asked.

"You, you should have gone through this about fifteen years ago Charlie, not now"

"Gone through what?" Charlie questioned.

"Love, falling in love, being happy, you know all those things you've always shunned" Bill replied.

"I've been in love before" Charlie defended "Just never like this"

"Dragons don't count" Bill observed dryly.

"Look right, I've had girlfriends, and I've loved a few of them, but I'm not this big commitment phobe you all think I am, I was willing to commit to a couple of women over the years, unfortunately they didn't want to commit to me. At least I didn't marry someone and have four kids and then decide we hate each other" Charlie defended himself.

"And you want to marry this one?" Bill asked.

"Bill, if it weren't for the fact she's far too sensible I'd have married her already" he said "I've always rushed things or not been in that place but now I am, and actually it's not so bad that I have to be patient, I don't know why but some sense keeps telling me that waiting, being patient is the right thing to do"

"You don't want to scare her off you mean, like the girls in the past?" Bill asked, but his attention was over Charlie's shoulder.

"Yes and no" Charlie tried to explain "To be honest it just feels right, like this and I have too much riding on this to be impatient and screw it all up"

"Good good" Bill murmured, his attention now totally focussed over Charlie's right shoulder.

"What's so bloody fascinating over there?" Charlie grumbled, he'd wanted to talk to Bill about this for a while, and now he wasn't even listening.

"Those guys, who came in when you came back in, I swear I've seen them before, and not in a good way" Bill spoke quietly, it instantly got Charlie's attention.

"What's going on?" he asked sharply.

"Me and dad, George, Fred, we all had a mission back in the war, those guys….well they are supposed to be dead, at the battle I saw their names, it makes no sense" Bill shook his head as if trying to rid himself of the confusion.

"Bill, _you_ are making no sense" Charlie started to get frustrated, resisting the urge to turn and look.

"We had to follow and report on a group of death eaters for the order, we got to know how they looked really well, and I think they are over there, but they can't be because I saw their names on the list of the dead at Hogwarts" Bill had reached inside his robes and had his hand on his wand.

"Seriously?" Charlie became nervous, adrenaline pumping. There were still small bands of death eaters that were being rounded up all these years later and the aurors had fought some battles to incarcerate them. But they were mainly small time criminals who hid behind an allegiance to Voldemort. He looked as George appeared one side of Bill and Arthur the other.

"Bill…." George began.

"I know" Bill spoke through gritted teeth "There must be more opposition than everyone thought, where are the others? Harry and Ron, please tell me they are not on their own, despite what the ministry tells us there is still a price on their heads, Hermione's too"

"We're here" replied Ron quietly, sliding beside Charlie, Harry suddenly appeared too, auror training Charlie supposed.

Despite being the son, Bill took charge "Dad, go home, tell Ginny and Hermione to ward the house, protect themselves, Percy go with him" he added as Percy arrived, unaware of the situation that was unfolding.

"Charlie, on my word turn around, and have your wand ready because this is going to get messy" Bill warned, Charlie withdrew his wand, breathing fast "Now!" Bill said almost inaudibly.

As Charlie turned he saw the flash of a spell go over his head as he automatically ducked, and that was the last conscious action he made that night, the rest were pure adrenaline and reaction. The death eaters threw their spells and the group responded like for like. Music pounded still through the darkness of the pub as they fought, the area around them cleared quickly, Charlie barely registered the screams of fleeing innocents as he duelled, it was a long time since he had fought like this, in fact the last time had been the battle of Hogwarts and he'd thought he would never have to do it again.

Charlie reached out and caught Ron as he was hit by a spell, he pushed him behind, shielding him from further damage, the death eaters were advancing, and they were starting to get the better of the small group of dedicated fighters who stood between them and their aim to cause as much damage to the patrons of the pub as possible. The place was almost cleared, Charlie caught sight of a few people he'd known slightly from the order, and they added their weight to the fight.

Awry spells had wrecked the bar and suddenly it went deathly quiet, the sound system must have been hit. Both sides paused for a split second, thrown by the sudden silence. It was still dark and the atmosphere crackled with spell residue as the world halted momentarily. It didn't last, the death eaters began firing spells again, and Charlie and his fellows repaid the favour.

Suddenly the death eaters stopped, and so did the Weasley's and their allies, wands held aloft still ready for the fight to start again. Through the quiet could be heard the laboured breathing of those who had fought, and the faded screams of those still fleeing the scene.

"Harry Potter you will pay!" A voice said "We are much stronger than you believe and the dark army will rise again, and this time YOU will be defeated!"

"Bollocks!" shouted George "There's about six of you, and you are all here, and we're going to kick your arses!"

"You underestimate us" the voice laughed.

"No that's your mistake not ours" Bill warned "This is a storm in a tea cup, you are a band of small time crooks up against aurors, curse breakers and a dragon tamer" Bill laughed sourly "Oh and not to mention two of the golden trio, one of which just happens to be the boy who lived, who defeated Voldemort when he was a teenager! Who do you think you are kidding?"

"We are strong and true to the cause!" Another voice cried back.

"Oh please" Bill replied "Get a grip, you have been brain washed by dead man!"

"Voldemort will rise again!" the group chanted as one.

"Oh, I don't think so" Harry said softly "He was definitely dead, I made extra sure" and he fired a spell, in the light generated the band of death eaters were lit up, they all saw the man at the front fall, stunned and rigid "Now do I have to take you all out one by one?"

The death eaters fought back but the Weasley's and their crew were revitalised by Harry's words, they pushed the band towards the wall, each person fighting for what they were worth. Charlie was hit twice, in the shoulder but continued until a third strike lifted him from his feet and laid him flat on his back, he panicked slightly before he blacked out.

When he came round Bill was standing over him, and the pub was light.

"That was a girl you know, the one who got you" Bill informed him.

"What?" Charlie was groggy and confused.

"The spells, don't worry they were only light stunners the effects wore off ages ago, looks like you knocked yourself out when you hit the floor" Bill told him, holding out his hand to help him up. Charlie rose rather unsteadily to his feet, rubbing the back of his head "We beat them" Bill told him proudly.

"Great" Charlie winced as he spoke, his whole body ached.

"Harry, Ron and the other aurors have taken them to Azkaban" Bill said "Turns out they wanted to rob the place, funds for their cause" Bill rolled his eyes "But when they saw Harry they decided to try and become legends"

Charlie sat gingerly on a nearby step, his head between his knees.

"Charlie, you ok?" Bill asked his voice sharp with concern.

"Bang on the head" Charlie muttered "Feel like shit"

"Come on" Bill half picked him up "Let's get you home"

The last thing Charlie remembered was the sensation of apparating with Bill.

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	10. Chapter 10

**Dragon Man**

AN: thanks to those of you who are reviewing, it means such a lot. And special thank you to Rita who is such a great support XX

_**Chapter 10 – Fear**_

Juliet tried to concentrate but it was impossible. She tried to block her mind of thoughts of Charlie and why he wasn't there, like he should be. She rubbed the bridge of her nose, and anger started to filter through the disappointment and hurt.

"How dare you!" she raged at the surface of her desk, slamming her hand down with force.

He had due back two days ago, but still there was no sign. No Charlie, no owl telling her where he was, why he had been delayed. Gossip was rife among the reserve staff, the most outrageous rumour that he's run off with a man somewhere to live.

Juliet had trusted him, he'd moved heaven and earth just about to tell her he loved her and now he'd just disappeared? The fear started to resurface, she was terrified something had happened to him, and then terrified he'd changed his mind, or met someone else and decided to stay in England, get married, have a family. All the things she had thought he wanted to do with her. And the worst thing of all was that she wouldn't, _couldn't_ write to him at his childhood home. He had promised and had gone back on that promise. The anger and fear mingled horribly, making her feel sick.

"You had better be dead Weasley!" she fumed, whirling away from her desk and slamming the office door.

She stormed through the hospital; others who encountered her moved out of the way through self preservation, she stopped in front of the hospital main reception.

"I am unwell" she informed the welcome witch "Please tell Head Healer Charton that he is in charge until further notice" and without a second glance she left the hospital.

"Unwell my arse!" said the welcome witch to the security wizard "Her fella's run off with a bloke, she's sulking"

"Blimey frosty knickers had a bloke?" the wizard replied, shock etched on his face.

"Yeah, turned him gay though didn't she?" the witch replied smugly.

"People don't 'turn' gay!" the second wizard spoke up "If he's gay now, he was then, maybe he just didn't know it. Who was it anyway?"

"Charlie Weasley" the witch replied with authority "That muscled red head that had a tantrum in front of my desk"

"Really? Does that mean she's single now then?" the second wizard asked hopefully.

"In your dreams!" the first wizard laughed, joined by the witch.

XXXXxxxx0000xxxxXXXX

Juliet stalked along the path to the cabins, she had her head down against the insescant rain that had poured for nearly a week, her hair was soaked and hung like rats tails around her face, but at least it masked the tears she could no longer hide. She hated him; she hated herself for letting him get under her skin. The fact that she didn't stand a chance didn't occur to her. That she'd been drawn in the first time she saw him was of no comfort, she should never have let herself get carried away like that. It had been far too soon to talk of love and meeting families, even if they had thought they felt it. At least Charlie had come to his senses, what on earth were they thinking?

She looked up automatically as she approached Charlie's deserted cabin and stopped in her tracks, there he was, cool as cucumber locking the door, a bag over his shoulder.

She watched for what seemed like hours as he turned the key in the lock and checked the door was locked. He stowed the keys in his pocket as she watched, torn by her emotions. Relief was the first, and the strength of the emotion told her that she was deeply in love with him, despite her inner denials that it was too soon. The rain streamed down her face, she was soaked to the skin yet the shaking was more emotional than physical. She watched as he turned, half of her desperate to run away, not let him see what he had reduced her to. The other half wanted to run to him, hug him, kiss him. And then beat him! The anger was coming back with force. And then he faced her and she saw it immediately.

He wasn't Charlie.

She stood rooted to the spot as the man approached her, she realised this must be one of his brothers. She had seen pictures, but she could not have identified him beyond that. He stood in front of her in the rain and fear gripped her suddenly, fear and guilt. She'd wished him dead, what if he was? What if all the time she had been cursing him he'd been laid cold and immobile somewhere? Her mind shied from the mental image of Charlie, still and pale in silence, his face transposed onto the hundreds of bodies she had seen in her time as a healer. The man stopped before her, looking into her face with concern, with eyes so like Charlie's that she wanted to scream.

"Are you Juliet?" he asked.

"Yes" she heard herself say, unaware that she had the power to move her lips at that moment.

"I'm George, Charlie's brother, wow he said you were a stunner but even your picture doesn't do you justice" he smiled that warm smile that was so familiar, so heartbreaking.

"What?" her brain started to move again slowly.

"Charlie, he told me I wouldn't miss you" George winked; Juliet pushed her hair back from her face and lifted her chin.

"Where is he?" she asked carefully.

"He's at home" George frowned at her, as if she ought to know that.

"Home?" she said, her voice empty.

"Yeah, I've come to get his stuff" George was conversational, cheerful almost.

Suddenly Juliet's control snapped "Oh Merlin he's dead!" she almost screamed.

George caught her as she stumbled away from him, shaking her trying to get through to her.

"He's not dead!" he repeated until she looked at him "He's alive and he's at home, didn't you get the owl?"

"Owl? No" Juliet was stunned and exhausted; the range of emotions she had experienced had taken their toll.

"I told mum to send Hedwig and not Errol, bloody stupid bird!" George flashed "Come on let's get you inside where I can explain without us getting wetter, where's your cabin?"

Juliet looked at him, indicating her cabin set back from Charlie's. They started to walk towards it when she pulled on his arm.

"He's not dead?" she demanded.

"No" George put an arm around her for support "Come on"

He led her to her cabin, and unlocked the door with the key she gave him. The cabin doors were warded against opening by magic for security. He led her inside and she sat on the sofa, shaking and dripping.

"Hot sweet tea for a shock" George headed in the direction of the small kitchen area "That's what mum would say"

"No!" Juliet said sharply "I need to know…." She couldn't finish the sentence, how could she ask his brother, as kind as he was being why Charlie wasn't here and he was?

"Charlie has been injured" George began, he didn't even try to persuade her on the tea front "There was a fight at a bar on Boxing Day and he was hit by a few spells and then knocked out"

"Is he ok?" she asked nervously.

"Physically, yes" George sighed.

"But?" she added for him.

"Look, he wants to see you. Says he needs to see you; can you come back with me now? Charlie can explain it better than I can"

"Yes" in a split second she jumped from the sofa and headed into her bedroom, her wand was a blur as she packed things into a bag.

A few moments later she reappeared "I'm ready" she said, heading for the door.

"Don't you want to change first?" he asked.

"No, I want to go. If Charlie wants to see me then I need to go, now" she spoke quickly, urgently.

"Ok" he reluctantly agreed "We have a portkey set up in your main offices, but don't you have to tell someone you are going?"

"I don't care" was her reply as she headed out of the door ahead of him and set off towards the main office. George swung Charlie's bag onto his back and followed, locking the door with the key still in his hand.

As they prepared for the portkey to activate Juliet's mind started to work in some semblance of normality.

"You said that Charlie is ok physically" she stated to George as they waited "Has he had a breakdown? Some kind of mental illness?"

"Not exactly" George tried to evade the question.

"George, I need to know" she demanded "I need to be prepared, you won't shock me, I have dealt with all sorts of things"

"The thing is…" George stopped as the portkey started to glow "He's lost his magic"

Juliet's mind whirled at the words as her body whirled with the portkey.

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	11. Chapter 11

**Dragon Man**

_**Chapter 11 – The trouble with trouble.**_

"What?" Juliet stared at George; she was so taken aback by his words that she hadn't even looked around her when they landed.

"Something happened, although no one knows quite what, the night we fought with those thugs. Charlie was hit by a few spells, but they were relatively minor, he was knocked out though" George righted his clothing and readjusted the bag. They had landed not far from the Weasley home, on Stoatshead Hill. George started to head down the hill towards a town. Juliet started after George, still a little breathless from the portkey and his revelations.

"And when he came round his magic had just disappeared?" She was astounded.

"Well, yes" George stopped and looked at her "It seems to have, he slept most of the next day and when he got up he said he felt better and seemed his usual self, but then he tried to accio something and it didn't work. We checked his wand, it's not that"

"So, I mean what's being done? Has he been to the hospital? Seen a Mediwitch?" she demanded as they started to walk again.

"He won't" George said flatly "He says it'll come back itself when it's good and ready, actually he's really calm about it, if it were me I'd be climbing the walls"

"Well that's' just stupid!" she snorted.

"Why?" George demanded "I would be!"

"No" Juliet sighed "I meant him, not seeing anyone"

"Oh yeah, well that's Charlie for you" George grinned "Is this the first time you have seen the stupid side of him?"

"No, well yes, oh I don't know" she moaned "It's all a bit…"

"Weird?" George offered "Yeah it's definitely weird, but then weirdness seems to have an attraction for Charlie"

"Thanks" she replied dryly.

"No, I didn't mean that, Merlin why do we keep misunderstanding each other?" George laughed.

For the first time since Charlie had called her on Boxing Day, Juliet laughed "We do don't we?" she agreed.

"Come on" he said companionably "It's just the other side of Ottery St Catchpole, that town" he pointed to the sprawl of homes before them "Won't take long".

XXxx00xxXX

As George held the door open for her Juliet entered Charlie's childhood home for the first time. It suddenly dawned on her that she must look awful, it was dry in England but the wind had blown her already bedraggled hair to kingdom come. She wished now that she'd tidied herself up before she left as George suggested, what would Charlie, and his beloved mum make of her looking like this?

"Oh, my poor dear" a voice said from somewhere, a woman's voice "Come in! Get yourself by the fire you look frozen to the bone! Cup of tea? Sandwich?"

Juliet located the owner of the voice; this must be Charlie's mum, Molly Weasley. Juliet fought the urge to burst into tears, Molly's face was kind and careworn and her voice bright and full of concern, she just _looked_ like a mum, someone to cuddle when things went wrong.

"Hello, you must be " Juliet began "I'm sorry to arrive unannounced like this…" she got no further as Molly cut her off.

"Nonsense!" she said "You are more than welcome; Charlie has told us so much about you that I was just dying to meet you! And we sent you an owl, asking you to come. And call me Molly, Mrs Weasley reminds me of Arthur's mum!"

"Well, thank you" Juliet smiled into her eyes, kind eyes crinkled with laughter lines "I'm sorry but I didn't get the owl you sent, but I ran into George and he has explained"

"Oh that silly bird!" Molly laughed "Goodness knows where he is now; never mind, the important thing is that you are here now" she paused for breath, guiding Juliet to a chair by the roaring kitchen fire "Would you like a cup of tea? Are you hungry? A sandwich? Or maybe some toast?" Molly stood over her expectantly.

Juliet was just about to answer when the voice from behind her made her stumble to her feet and turn around.

"Mum!" it was Charlie "Let her get in the door before you start trying to feed her!" it seemed to Juliet that it took Charlie hours to cross the space between them, but there he was, standing in front of her, reaching out and taking her hands in his.

"Hello" she said quietly.

"Hi" he replied, reaching down and kissing her on the cheek "Thank you" he whispered as his mouth brushed her cheek.

Juliet reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him closer. He hugged her back, fiercely so that Juliet could hardly breathe, but she didn't care, she had feared that this moment would never come; she could have stayed there forever.

"Get a room you two!" George joked, and they broke apart, Charlie turned to face the others but kept hold of Juliet's hand tightly.

"I've got one" Charlie said cheekily "Did you manage?" he asked.

"Yeah, I got all the stuff you asked for" George replied "So now you have your own clothes can you stop nicking mine?"

"I don't know, I mean I quite like this t-shirt" Charlie teased, indicating the dark blue t-shirt he wore with the legend "Wizards do it on broomsticks!" emblazoned across the chest.

"Right Charlie, I expect Juliet would like a rest after the day she's had, can you show her up to Ginny's room please?" Molly intervened, Juliet was trying to read Charlie, and he seemed his normal self, not down or even stressed. He didn't seem affected at all.

"She's staying in my room" he announced steadily, Juliet tensed. Charlie had told her his mum had very strong views on sex. Mainly that it should _never_ happen under her roof, Juliet wondered what on earth he was thinking.

"Charlie…." Juliet protested, but to her surprise Molly didn't contradict him.

"As you wish" was all she said, although the expression on her face could have soured milk at a hundred paces, she did have the grace to turn away from them though, to try and hide it.

Juliet followed him up a steep and narrow staircase and through a door into a bedroom. It was brightly decorated and there were pictures of dragons and famous Quiddich players on the walls, a double bed dominated the room and a wardrobe and chest of drawers fought for space against the wall. A large window faced the bed and the watery winter sunshine poured through, bathing the room in soft light. Clothes littered the floor and the bed was unmade, books and magazines were placed opened on the bedside table, along with a few coffee cups.

"Sorry" he smiled at her "Maids day off"

She looked at him as he closed the door; he wrapped his arms around her, nuzzling her neck with his mouth.

"Oh, I've missed you" he groaned.

"Charlie I'm dirty!" she protested.

"Oh I hope so" he chuckled, pulling her closer his hands starting to wander.

She struggled a little and then he kissed her, deeply. She forgot that she was sporting the tramp look, that she had just arrived in his parent's house, who disapproved of sex before marriage, and even that he'd lost his magic. She just knew he was there, and she loved him and she needed him right then.

It was frantic; Clothes were thrown with no regard as they stumbled to the bed. Charlie pushed her gently onto the bed; he couldn't get enough of her. It was over all too quickly; Charlie sighed and kissed her gently.

"I'm sorry" he whispered "I think I got a bit carried away"

"Don't" she murmured back "It was great, better than great and you know it was"

"I know" he smiled "I just wish it hadn't been so, well, quick"

"Its fine" she reassured "Very, er satisfying"

"Good" he moved away from her, pulling the covers over both of them before drawing her closer again "So what's been happening at work then? Any gossip?" he asked.

"Charlie, are you going to talk to me or do I have to beat it out of you?" she rose up on her elbow, looking him in the eye "George told me what happened"

"Its fine, no big deal" he said with a shrug.

"Of course it is!" she protested "You have lost your magic, you can't say that's not a big deal"

"It's fine" he repeated but his face had taken on a closed look, she felt his body tense.

"It is not fine!" she snapped "You haven't even seen a Mediwitch!"

"I don't need a Mediwitch" he replied, getting out of bed and pulling on his jeans.

"You need to know what happened and to try and put it right" she protested.

"I wish everyone would stop telling me what I need!" he snapped back "I just need to be allowed to get on with it, millions of people live without magic, I'm sure I can manage"

"Charlie, stop being so pig headed. I used to work at St Mungo's, I can help" she pleaded.

Charlie rounded on her sharply, she knew the laid back manner was a shield and here was the proof "You think you can help do you?" he asked dangerously quietly "When my brother, a curse breaker can't? Or Hermione? One of the brightest minds in the wizarding world, or Harry Potter? The most powerful wizard around. Even the bloody Minister for Magic CAN'T HELP" he shouted "So what fucking chance do you have?"

"Yes, that's right!" she shouted back "I drop anything and come half way around the world at your beck and call and all you do is shout at me for trying to support you!"

"I'm sorry, shit, I didn't mean to take it out on you" he sat back on the bed, holding her to his chest "But please, if you came here to support me then support me, don't try and fix me because I've had enough of that"

"Charlie I just wanted to help, I don't want to see you upset, angry and this had got you both"

"I know, of course it has" he admitted "But the more I show it, the more everyone just runs round in circles trying to find answers, and I don't think there are any, I think this is something I might have to live with"

"Don't say that" she pleaded.

"But its true" he sighed "I will have to adapt, I am absolutely useless in a wizarding environment and I need to learn how to be like a muggle"

"It won't come to that" she denied.

"I want to be prepared" he stated "And I know you didn't sign up for this, this is such a mess"

"What do you mean, I didn't sign up for this?" she moved away from him this time "Do you think I'm that shallow?"

"What? No!" he said "It's not going to be easy though is it? I mean I can hardly go back and work with dragons at the moment can I?" he ran his hands through his hair; it hurt Juliet to see the despair on his face.

"We'll work something out" she promised him. Quite how was not a question either of them was brave enough to ask at that moment.

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	12. Chapter 12

**Dragon Man**

_**Chapter 12 – Tough**_

The air at breakfast was decidedly frosty the next morning; Molly Weasley appeared to be blaming the eggs and bacon for every misfortune judging by the way they were being thrown around. Charlie and Juliet didn't fare much better when they arrived for breakfast either.

"Sleep well?" she snapped at them, slamming a teapot onto the table with force.

"Yes thank you" said Charlie politely, pouring himself and Juliet a cup.

"Good!" this was accompanied by another slam of two plates in front of them, the eggs were broken and they slid across the plate, Charlie's ended up in his lap.

"Mum!" he protested "Careful!"

"I hope you have been!" Molly declared hands on hips before them, her lips twitching furiously.

"Oh, so _that's_ what all this is about! Charlie sighed, scooping up egg yolk and dumping it back on his plate "If you must know we didn't have sex last night actually" he added conversationally.

"Oooh, that's dangerous for a man with no way of defending himself!" George observed as he walked through the kitchen, he had intended on having some breakfast but changed his mind hearing the topic of conversation.

"Well, I mean…Charlie I have no wish to pry…" Molly began, realising that of all her children she always had, and always would have the least influence on Charlie.

"We had sex yesterday afternoon, yes just after Juliet got here and it was very good" he continued, heedless to Juliet's and his mother's outraged faces "And we are always careful, aren't we darling?" he turned to face Juliet, a questioning look on his face.

It was Juliet's turn to slam her tea cup back onto the table, Molly had not moved, she appeared rooted to the spot.

"What is wrong with you?!" Juliet glared at him "You know fine well that your mum is upset over this, and still you insisted I sleep in your room, and yes I would rather be close to you. But there was no need for that Charlie, no need at all!"

"Oh so you're on her side are you?" he asked, one eyebrow raised "Fine, sleep on the bloody sofa then, more room for me"

"Charles Weasley!" Arthur's voice came from the doorway behind them "Don't ever let me hear you speak to a woman like that again!"

"Dad…." Charlie swivelled in his seat and looked at his father, even through their wildest years Arthur had rarely been hard on them, but when he did have something to say, they all listened and heeded without exception.

"I know you are having problems Charlie, but there is no need to treat people badly, especially those closest to you. I'm disappointed; I thought I had instilled respect in you"

"I'm just wound dad, that's all, I'm sorry" Charlie hung his head, his cheeks red.

"Ladies will you excuse us for a moment please?" Arthur asked Molly and Juliet politely, Juliet pushed away from the table; Charlie tried to reach out and touch her hand as she passed but she pulled it from his grasp and left the room. Molly followed quietly.

Arthur closed the door after them and turned to face Charlie.

"Son, I can't imagine how this is affecting you, mainly because you won't talk, which I respect" Arthur began "But when your behaviour upsets your mother like this, I really have to say something"

"I know, Dad, I just want Juliet near me that's all. It's not like it's going to be for a long time is it?" he sighed "She'll have to go back to work sooner or later and I can't exactly follow can I?"

"I can understand that" Arthur said "You're afraid you are going to lose her as well, but don't drive her away"

"I can't help it" Charlie sounded miserable "She's only just got here and she's expecting some quick fix and jolly back to Romania, I don't think it's going to be that easy"

"Maybe it won't" Arthur mused "But have you stopped to tell Juliet this? Have you said that you are worried that this might split you up?"

"That's like emotional blackmail dad!" Charlie was shocked "I can't say that, she will just say she'll stay as long as it takes, I know she will. But I can't let her do that, we've only been together a few months and she has a good job that she's worked hard to get, and there's the possibility of promotion, how can I ask her to choose?"

"Do you love her?" Arthur asked.

"Like I said, it's early days; we have a lot in common and get on so well…."

"But do you love her?" his father repeated "Not lust or infatuation, but proper love? Where you can't let an hour go by when she's not with you without wondering what she's doing, where she is, how she is? Like you would rather that she put herself and her job first and not you, but will accept it if she chooses to stand by you? Like when you left her in Romania before Christmas it all felt wrong, not having her there with you?"

"Yeah" Charlie said with a wry smile "How d'you….?" He asked.

"Because that's how I feel about your mother and always have" Arthur replied "But the question is, does she feel like that about you?"

"She said she loved me" Charlie shrugged.

"Oh, son" Arthur shook his head and smiled "You have a lot to learn, of course she does!"

"How do you know?!" Charlie was starting to be amazed by his father's insight, he had never thought of him as someone who would have a wealth of advice about love.

"Because she's here!" Arthur exclaimed "She dropped everything, George said she didn't even tell her bosses she was going, just packed a bag and left. Isn't that what you would have done, in her shoes?"

"Course" Charlie said.

"Well there you are then" Arthur stood, patting his second eldest on the shoulder, out of all of his children he'd never have thought that he'd have to give Charlie love guidance!

"But there's still the job thing" Charlie frowned "Doesn't matter how much we love each other, I can't work with dragons now"

"Talk to her" Arthur prompted "Speak honestly and she'll do the same, and please stop baiting your mother. I understand _exactly_ how you feel and why you want Juliet with you, but it will cause more problems that you need right now. I will talk to your mum, I'll try and get her to ease up a bit on the bedroom thing, you are a grown man and I'm not stupid enough to think that even if you had separate rooms, that you would use them. But your mum worries, and that's all this is about, she is just worried"

"Thanks dad" Charlie smiled as his father left the kitchen, he was genuinely grateful. He could remember a handful of times that Arthur had sat him down and talked to him about things. He had a way of making you realise you were being an idiot without shouting and arguments.

Arthur entered the living room just in time to see Molly and Juliet exchange a hug.

"Thank you" said Molly, touching her cheek "I'm glad Charlie found you"

Juliet smiled and headed upstairs, leaving Arthur and Molly alone.

"That's a good sign" he said carefully, Molly rarely took to Charlie's girlfriends, the few they had met anyway. They had tended to be self absorbed, as the young often are and Molly never thought that they would hang around very long, and she had been proven right every time.

"She's got her head screwed on straight, that one" Molly said "She loves Charlie, properly and that's what he needs. Someone who will accept who his is and not try to change him, but not hero worship him either"

"So?" Arthur prompted.

"Yes, I know, I can't pretend I'm thrilled about them sharing a room when they aren't married or even engaged" she said primly "But they obviously care for each other and fingers crossed they will get through this together and have a chance, if I can help by being a little more liberal then that's what I will do"

"I'm proud of you Mrs Weasley" Arthur said, planting a kiss on her cheek.

"Oh Arthur!" she chided "Don't be so soppy!"

"If she can make him half as happy as you have made me then he'll be a very lucky man" he smiled down to her.

"I think she can" Molly confided "Do you know what she said to me Arthur?" she asked without pausing for a reply "She said that this was their problem. Not Charlie's problem, theirs"

"Because they think of themselves as a unit, as a they" Arthur said "Like we do"

"I'm glad" Molly hugged her husband, happy that amongst his other dilemma's, Charlie had someone totally on his side.

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	13. Chapter 13

**Dragon Man**

_**Chapter 13 – No easy solution**_

Juliet sat looking out of the window in Charlie's room. She was unsure what to do; Molly had more or less given her and Charlie the thumbs up. She'd said that although she was opposed to the idea of them sharing such a personal space before marriage, she was convinced that they were committed to each other, and could live with it – for now. But that still left Juliet with the problem of what _she_ should do next. Every instinct told her that she should go back to her job; it was after all the sensible thing to do. She wouldn't abandon Charlie but obviously they couldn't be a couple with such a distance between them. And that's where she got stuck; right there on the bit that meant they couldn't be together. She _would_ be abandoning him wouldn't she? Right when he needed her the most. But then what if he didn't want her to stay? What if he didn't think that they had a future in terms of long commitment?

Her mind went around in circles, but she knew she wouldn't go, she didn't want to and if she had to give up her job, work in a shop, sweep the streets to stay near him then she would. The problem would be the long term, she would need to work, and she would need to live somewhere because she couldn't camp at his parents for ever. But then what about Charlie? How would he feel about her staying? So many questions and so few answers to hand.

"Hey" she hadn't heard the bedroom door open, and jumped when he spoke to her.

"Hi" she said, looking as he stood framed in the doorway, for the first time since she had met him he looked unsure of himself.

"I'm sorry, I was a pratt" he said.

"Yes, you were" she agreed "Getting to be a habit all this saying sorry between us isn't it?" she said, but with a smile.

He sat on the bed next to her, his hands clasped between his legs, looking at the floor "I need to know what your plans are" he said, more aggressively than he had intended.

"I don't know" she answered honestly "It depends on a lot of things, like what you are going to do and what you want out of us"

"I don't know what to do" he said, the tone of despair was clear "I don't think my magic is going to just re appear and I can't sit here for the rest of my life waiting. I think I'm going to try and find a job of some description and somewhere to live. Don't get me wrong, I love my parents and I love being here, but I moved out when I was seventeen and I'd been away at school for years before that. I can't live here, I'd drive my mum crackers and vice versa"

"I want to be here with you" she said simply.

"What about your job?" he asked "You are up for the matron's position aren't you? And you have worked really hard, your own hospital, it was what you wanted"

"But you won't be there" she said "It wouldn't be the same"

"If you stay, turn down that job it will be because of me" he sighed.

"Because of us" she corrected "Because I love you and want to be with you, support you and don't bite my head off here, but to help you too"

"But is it what _you_ want deep down?" he asked.

"Yes, but only if that's what you want" she replied, effectively putting the ball in his court.

"We've only been together for a few months Juliet, it's a big commitment, and a big risk and the risk is all yours, not mine"

"It's a risk I'm willing to take, if you want to make the commitment to me" she said quietly.

"I already have, It'd kill me if you went" he let out a breath "I love you, I know it's probably way too soon to make these kinds of promises but I can't see that changing any time, ever"

"Then I stay" she said, placing her hand over his "I don't expect a marriage proposal or anything, but I think that we can make each other happy"

"You do make me happy" he smiled "You're probably right on the marriage proposal but seeing as I'm going to move anyway how about sharing a place, no pressure, separate rooms?"

"Separate rooms?" she snorted "Like that's gonna happen, but it makes a lot of sense. And we practically lived together in Romania anyway"

"It's all very sudden" he said.

"Yes, and if things hadn't turned the way they have we would have had longer to make these decisions, but as they stand I just know I don't want to go back without you, I don't want to be without you and if that means jumping in feet first then I think it's a risk worth taking, for me anyway" she spoke as he put an arm around her, hugging her close.

"Me too" he agreed "It's not going to be easy, and although I hate to admit it, I _will_ need help, at first at least. But it's going to be worth it, being with you"

They sat huddled together for a long time, both thinking about the future. Juliet broke the silence eventually.

"We will get through this Charlie, together we will"

"I know" he sighed into her hair "Somehow"

XXxx00xxXX

When Charlie and Juliet went downstairs it was with a purpose, and as a couple. They intended on telling the family their plans, Charlie had warned her to expect opposition from some of the family; they would be reluctant to let him out of their sight, him being without magic.

Molly had made a special effort, Charlie had asked that she get all the family together for dinner and she had really pushed the boat out. He had warned her not to get too excited, that there weren't wedding bells in the offing. But that he and Juliet wanted to talk to them about something important.

"That was wonderful mum" Bill said, leaning back in his chair and rubbing his stomach contentedly "I'm stuffed"

"Makes a change!" muttered Fleur under her breath, earning herself a dark look from Molly. Despite the fact that her children were very well fed by their others halves, she still liked them to come home for a 'proper meal' now and again, she was particularly worried about Bill, she was convinced Fleur fed him salad seven days a week, and her ironing left a lot to be desired too!

"So Charlie, come on spit it out" Ron began "I'm on nights and I want to hear the gossip before I go"

"Ron!" Hermione was outraged "Honestly you have absolutely no tact whatsoever!"

"What?!" Ron asked in all innocence.

"It's ok Hermione, he's always been as subtle as a giant" Charlie laughed "We wanted to tell you all of some decisions we have made, and ask for your help"

"Ask away" said Molly, she looked more relaxed than she felt.

"Well, Juliet and I, we have decided to er, give it a go so to speak" he began "Obviously I can't work with the dragons at the moment and I need to support myself, and to find a place to live"

"You have somewhere to live" Ron said "What's wrong with here?"

"Just because you had to be dragged from the larder kicking and screaming by Hermione doesn't mean that we all do" Bill said pointedly "Charlie wants his independence I expect"

"Yes, I do" Charlie agreed "_We_ want our independence. Juliet has decided against the job in Romania, she is going to apply at St Mungo's, and we are going to look for somewhere to live, together"

"Why can't you live here?" Molly asked.

"Because we want to have our space" Charlie said, he was about to continue when Juliet cut him off with a look.

"Molly, we want to make our way in the world. We want to make it work and do it together, but we will need your help, a lot. If you will give it to us?"

"What do you want us to do?" Arthur asked carefully.

"Just support us, when things get tough" Charlie said "We know that this is a bit soon for us to be moving in together but if we want to be together it makes sense, I can't go back to Romania, not yet anyway. We will need support, I have to learn to do things myself, to not rely on everyone else and that means learning a whole new set of skills. It will be a lot on Juliet, and I know it's not going to be easy, we both do. But we feel like it will be worth it"

"So basically, you want us to help you move home and give you a bed for the night when you piss her off and she kicks you out?" Bill said.

"Put simply" Charlie laughed "Yeah"

The laughter eased the tension around the table, even Molly smiled despite the bad language, Charlie still looked at her though, out of everyone he needed her ok on this, he needed her to be happy for him.

"Mum?" he said, it wasn't a question, it was a plea.

"How will your parents feel about this?" she asked Juliet.

"As long as I'm ok, they're happy" she said "And as Charlie said it won't be easy, we know that but we are willing to work at it"

Molly didn't speak for a few moments, the tension started to creep back through the room, eventually she spoke.

"I will sort out some kitchen things for you, and some sheets, towels and things" she finally said.

"I can do the same" Fleur joined "And we have a sofa, Bill has been promising me a new one for ages now"

"I can try and get hold of some muggle things for you" Hermione followed on "from my parents, you will need things like a phone and a microwave and a cooker, non magical things for when Juliet isn't home"

The conversation continued but Charlie didn't hear half of what was said, he caught his mother's eye, smiling his thanks at her, she smiled back, mouthing 'I love you' at him, and he knew that she might not be overjoyed that he was moving out, to move in with his girlfriend, especially when he had no magic, but she would support him, because she was his mum.

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	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14 – Boiling**

_Wow long time no computie_! _Here's the next installment, if it's crap then tell me...nicely please lol_

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"Charlie!" Juliet sighed "You can't just hit it and expect it to work!"

"Well nothing else seems to be!" he grumbled, thumping the kettle again "I've done everything you said, filled it and flicked the switch and nothing"

"It's not plugged in" she pointed out carefully "Muggle appliances need electricity to work, and they need to be plugged into a power source to get that power"

"Well it's easy when you've grown up with it!" he growled "Not so much when you haven't, why is it all so damn complicated?"

"It's not" she said quietly "You just don't listen"

"Well thanks!" he replied with more than a touch of sarcasm "All I wanted was to be able to make a cup of tea while you go off to work, you know all by my self and instead I get a lecture" swiping the worktop with his arm he swept the contents onto the floor and stormed out of the kitchen, slamming the door for effect.

Juliet looked at the mess around her, Charlie had managed to clear the entire worktop, the floor was littered with pieces of china, sugar, coffee and tea bags mixed with the water from the kettle and the innards of the appliances he had destroyed with his temper. She sighed and sunk to her knees and began to clear the mess up by hand. Her wand sat in her robe pocket but she tried not to use it in Charlies presence, felt that might be a bit like rubbing salt in the wound.

Juliet looked up as the kitchen door opened slowly, her heart skipped a beat as it always did when she saw him but something else shadowed the emotion – apprehension, she looked away again, continuing to clear up the mess.

"Let me do that" he offered

"It's alright" she said without making eye contact "I'll do it"

For some reason Charlie felt the anger well inside him again, had he stopped to analyse it he might have realised that it was borne of frustration. He had coped well with no magic initially, however having Juliet have to do most tasks for him and working all hours to keep him was starting to take it's toll. Charlie was a proud man.

"Like you have to do everything I suppose" he bitched "Work, cook, clean. Because your useless boyfriend can't do anything!"

Juliet stayed with her head bowed for a long moment, she had taken these outbursts from Charlie in her stride in the last couple of weeks. It hadn't taken him long to get really angry with his predicament and he had started taking it out on her. She had tried helping him, leaving him, talking to him and the end result was always the same. He diverted her attention from his behavior by seducing her into bed, thus he was forgiven. But she had really started to resent him for the way he was treating her. She wondered if she had made the right decision at all. She had fallen hard for Charlie, yet this wasn't the Charlie she knew.

Slowly Juliet stood up and faced him, Charlie felt a flash of something like the old desire he had felt for her when they had met, instead of the resentment and anger he usually felt these days. Something in her face reminded him of that first night they had met and the way she had made him feel then. In an instant he realised what he must be doing to her, how he was destroying the only thing he had left.

"I'm sorry" he held his hands up in a gesture of surrender "Juliet, babe I'm so sorry, I've been awful, I'll stop..." he tailed off his eyes opening wide with shock as she withdrew her wand from her inside pocket.

"Oh I know you're sorry Charlie" she said in a quiet and dangerous voice "You have been an insufferable moron for the past three weeks, then thinking that if you take me to bed I'll forget all about it and forgive you" she glared straight at him "But I've had enough of nannying you" she whizzed her wand around the kitchen, everything instantly returning to it's rightful place.

"I'm sick of not using magic around you in case you get upset, I'm sick of doing 14 hour shifts and coming home to a mess and a strop" she paused for breath, and to give Charlie a chance to speak, which he didn't.

"So you can either move back to your mother or shape up and sort yourself out, because quite frankly I've had enough"

"Juliet..." Charlie seemed genuinely at a loss for words "I...I"

"I don't care anymore" Juliet shrugged "How long did you think I was going to put up with your crap?" she asked "I thought I loved you, I thought you loved me but it seems that we were deluded" her eyes had taken a cold hue, Charlie felt terrified and elated at the same time "I have become little more than your housekeeper with benefits" she stated "Which have not been so fantastic of late either, you have become selfish and ignorant in that department too"

She didn't back off as he approached her, but stood her ground, fury written all over her face.

"I don't love you" he said, his blue eyes sparkling inches from her own "I'm _in_ love with you. I've walked all over you these past few weeks and you have let me, I have treated you badly and you have put up with it. Thinking back far more than I would ever have expected you to, but I guess it all comes down to this, I love you, you have no idea how much when you stand there like that, angry with me. But do you love me? Enough to have put up with all my shit, and called me on it, and now come out the other side? Do you want to fight for this? Because I do, with or without magic"

"So you think you can just come along with a spiel like that and that'll be sufficient? That I'll roll over and absolve you of all blame again ?" she said "That I'll come and scratch your itch because you are angry and sex, bad sex at that, is the only way you can feel better? Well no Charlie, it was fun, at first but being your whipping boy is debilitating and humiliating"

"Ah now there she is" Charlie advanced on her, pinning her against the worktop with his body "The woman who ties me in knots with words, the fiery woman who takes no shit, the woman _I_ fell in love with"

He was so close that she could feel his breath gently ruffling her hair, despite her hurt and anger at him she felt a thrill of anticipation which increased as he leaned closer, brushing her ear with his lips as he spoke.

"But I'm not going to tell you anymore" he whispered "You tell me actions speak louder than words" he chuckled as she gasped when he pressed his body against hers "See what all those fancy words have done to me?" he demanded "This is what you used to do to me all the time, how you made me feel, and I've ruined it, but I'm going to put it right" he kissed her ear briefly "If you still want me to"

"Yes" she whispered back, turning her head to kiss him, but he pulled away sharply.

"Good" he said "Go and have a bath, do whatever"

"Charlie?" Juliet was confused, his recent mood changes were giving her whiplash, angry and resentful to sorry and remorseful was usual but this was different.

"Just do something for me first?" he asked

"Of course" Juliet was deeply confused, and now unsure of what had happened between them.

"Floo my mum, tell her I need to see her now"

"Charlie...why?" fear filled Juliet now that he was going to leave, that he'd just humiliated her for the sake of it.

"Let me worry about that" he said, his face closed "I just need an hour or so"

"You're not going to...?" she stammered all anger gone now.

"Please" he said "Just do as I ask, make yourself scarce for a few hours"

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	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15 – Tough**

Juliet wandered aimlessly, she didn't know what to make of what had just happened. She had thought that she maybe was falling out of love with Charlie – well not so much that, maybe that she was in love with a man that didn't exist any more or maybe never had. She was confused as to what he had said and had to stop herself turning tail and running all the way back to their little house and begging him not to go, to tell him he could treat her as badly as he liked as long as he stayed.

She sighed as she took a seat on a bench in the park, watching a dad play football with his sons in the fading light, watching a mother push a pram across the grass towards them, a small dog on a lead hindering her progress until she let it off the lead. Watching the boys chase around with the dog as the dad leaned into the pram, then smiled up at his wife and kissed her on the cheek. Juliet watched them thinking that she'd assumed subconsciously that one day her and Charlie would be like that. But he'd changed since they'd moved in together, with the loss of his magic, and she wasn't sure she could cope with him constantly being resentful. Then she felt guilty for feeling like that. Wasn't love all about taking the good with the bad? Was she just willing to give up at the first hurdle? Before they'd even got started?

She stood and walked some more, thinking about her predicament. She loved Charlie but it had all been very fast, they hadn't really had time to absorb how they felt about each other, never mind accept that Charlie had lost something so important in his life. It had cost him so much, his independence, the job he adored and so much more. He had told her once that her and his family were the only things he had left that he could trust because he had no idea what was going to happen to him. But could she put his happiness first at the expense of her own?

As she mused these things, thoughts chasing themselves round and round her mind she wandered, she had no idea of the passage of time, at some point it had gotten dark although Juliet barely noticed.

''Merlin woman where on earth have you been?'' Juliet heard Charlie's voice behind her and whirled round, realising all at once from the dark and deserted streets how late it must have become.

''Charlie I was just...'' well what was she just? She wondered to herself, deciding whether or not to abandon him to his fate? That's if he hadn't already done it for her by moving out.

''I don't care'' he stated ''As long as you are OK, and here that's what matters'' he reached as if to hug her and fell back, unsure of himself.

She reached and and touched his arm gently, still unable to meet his eyes,

''What's happened to us Charlie?'' she said quietly.

''Nothing'' he answered simply ''We are normal, all couples argue and this situation with you know, my er magic is stressful. I've been such a selfish bastard and I'm so glad that you have told me because I think, well I hope that I can repair this?''

''We can do it together?'' she answered his question with one of her own.

He did put his arms around her now, pulling her close to him. She held on tight to him, burying her face into his chest, tears threatening to choke anything she might say.

''Just promise me that you will tell me if I get out of hand again?'' he asked into her hair ''Before you think of going, or kicking me out? I was so scared, when I said an hour and you hadn't come back I thought that you'd really had enough, that you'd left''

''I just wandered about'' she replied finally, pulling away to look at him ''I didn't realise how late it was, what time did I go out?''

''About half five'' he smoothed the hair from her face gently ''It's now about half past ten, I was terrified''

''I'm sorry'' she said ''I just needed to work some things out''

''Let's go home'' Charlie said, taking her hand.

Back in their house he led her straight upstairs, pushing her gently in the direction of the bathroom.

''Go and have a shower, do you want something to eat? Drink?'' he asked

''No thanks she smiled ''I'm just shattered''

Closing the bathroom door she leaned against it, letting out a long breath, she should have felt relieved, happy even but she just felt numb, and empty. The last few months and the events that had occurred had taken their toll and Juliet was emotionally drained. Somewhere deep inside she realised that if she felt like this then Charlie must feel a hundred times worse, but right now she didn't have the emotional capacity to take that on board too. Tears rolled silently down as she reflected on what she'd said to Charlie not half an hour before, the words echoed in her head over and over as she started to undress for her shower

'We can do it together?' it wasn't that she didn't want to, she wasn't sure she could any more.

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Charlie closed the dining room door of their little house quietly and looked around him. The table was laid, simply but nicely and the bowls that contained what he had painstakingly cooked from scratch – admittedly with his mothers guidance- still stood on the table top. He sighed and turned off the light, he was too tired and overwrought to clear it up now, he would do it in the morning before Juliet got up, right now he needed to sleep.

Heading back upstairs he went into 'his' room, noticing the light on under the door in 'Juliets' room. It seemed strange to see the door shut, they usually slept in what was officially his room, with all their clothes and things in hers. He didn't think that she'd ever actually slept alone in 'her' room. He paused outside unsure whether to go in, or to knock or just not to bother when the light snapped off and he heard the bed springs creak and groan as she climbed into bed, without him.

The noise served to remind him just why they had slept in his room since they moved in, her bed had made too much noise. He remembered how they had laughed as they rolled around on her bed, giggling like kids at the noise the bed made, wondering if it was loud enough to wake the neighbours. Neither had been able to take the whole thing seriously, and they had ended up on the floor, pulling the duvet down when their bodies had cooled and slept where they were.

Charlie felt bereft that the relationship had gone from fun and light hearted love, the first few months as they should be, not being able to keep their hands off each other. To this, he wasn't even sure how he felt any more. He sprawled across his bed and fell asleep almost instantly.

XXXxxx000xxxXXX

Juliet awoke some hours later while it was dark, the cramps in her stomach persistent in telling her that at some point you have to eat. She slowly stretched and eased out of bed, making her way quietly downstairs.

She padded through the dining room towards the kitchen, knowing the way blindfolded, or at least she thought she did until she caught her foot on a hard object.

''Shit!'' she hissed, clutching her foot. She took a couple of experimental steps towards the door and clicked the light on. It took her eyes a few moments to adjust to the light and she cursed not having her wand with her for the soft light that a simple 'lumos' would have provided.

She took in what she had hit her foot on, a dining chair, which wasn't normally there, it was usually against the wall, decorated with various clothes and folders, as was the table. However in place of the usual me-le of junk on the table were two place settings and various pots and bowls from the kitchen. Curious Juliet lifted the lids of the bowls to find roasted potatoes, chicken and vegetables. She grimaced as she came across the gravy boat, with a layer of fat atop the cooled liquid. Her stomach rumbled loudly, reminding her why she had come down in the first place. She helped herself to a couple of roast potatoes, not bad seeing as they were cold, and pulled apart some chicken, silently contemplating.

After eating enough to quiet her stomach Juliet made her way back upstairs, padding softly past the half open door of her room she crept into Charlie's. Crawling into bed deftly she leaned over and kissed him lightly on the forehead.

''Thank you'' she whispered, smiling as he automatically threw his arm around her waist, effectively pinning her to the bed. She smiled again as she snuggled down with her back to him while he tightened his grip, puling her closer.

''Love you'' he sighed sleepily, kissing the back of her neck before lapsing back into sleep.

''I love you too'' she whispered, her mind clearer than it had been for days, she knew that she meant it and would do anything to hang onto it.

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	16. AUTHORS NOTE!

After literally years of ill health and circumstances I am now back on . I have a new account and am removing some stories from this account to post on that one once they have been edited. The new account is Leslieem.

Thank you to everyone who read and reviewed my stories from this account, I hope that you will come over and take a look at the new one, and new stories and old.

I shall leave this one up but it will be reposted in my new account after editing and I will continue and finish it.

Thanks :)


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